KAN News: A troubling trend: Russia is cementing its military presence near Israel

KAN News: A troubling trend: Russia is cementing its military presence near
Israel
[Translation of Hebrew report]

Media in Syria have published documentation of Russian military patrols and
a new military position, joining other positions near the border with
Israel.
A Syrian opposition source to KAN news said: “If Israel thinks that these
positions will actually reduce the presence of Iran and its proxies in
Syria, it should think again.”
Roy Kais KAN 22:31 March 17, 2024

https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/defense/724562/

A trend that may not be good news for Israel: Russia continues to establish
a military presence in southern Syria near the border with Israel, as
reported today (Sunday) in the “Evening News” program on KAN 11.

In recent days, media outlets associated with the Assad regime have
published documentation of patrols by the Russian military police and a new
position in southern Syria of the Syrian and Russian militaries, a few
kilometers from the border with Israel.

This position joins several others that the Russians have placed on the
administrative border between Daraa and Quneitra near the Golan Heights.

This also includes recent overflights by Russian aircraft that have been
documented in the skies of southern Syria near the border with Israel.

Media outlets associated with the Assad regime in Syria have published
documentation of the establishment of a new position near its border with
Israel by the Russian military.

A source in the Syrian opposition said that these positions will not reduce
the presence of Iran in the south of the country.

According to a Syrian opposition source, speaking with “KAN news,” this
Russian establishment comes after months of complete absence. It’s uncertain
whether this is good news for Israel, in light of Russia’s side in the war
in Gaza and its closeness to Iran amid cooperation between the sides in the
war in Ukraine.

At the same time, the same source told “KAN news” that if Israel thinks that
these positions will actually reduce the presence of Iran and its proxies in
Syria, it should think again since the Russians are doing nothing to curb
the presence of Iran and its proxies, including in southern Syria. In
conclusion, if in the past an increased Russian deployment beyond the border
was positive, today it’s not so sure.

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IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

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