Russia has breached Israeli airspace more than once since it began intervening in Syria, a top Israeli defense official revealed Saturday.
Because Jerusalem and Moscow maintain close security coordination, however, Amos Gilad added, these violations do not lead to crises such as the one now flaring between Moscow and Ankara after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet that entered its air space last week.
“If there is a violation, we know what to do and how to prevent an escalation,” Gilad noted.
His revelation came four days after a Russian warplane was downed by Turkey, after Ankara claimed it breached Turkish airspace — a claim Russia denies — triggering a diplomatic spat between the two countries that has threatened to escalate further and to draw in other countries.