Russia Reprimands Israel’s Envoy Over Attack on Damascus Airport

Israel’s ambassador to Russia was summoned for a formal reprimand over air strikes attributed to Israel that shut down Damascus International Airport. The attack last week damaged the runway and some airport buildings; in addition to halting the movement of people, the damage has prevented the arrival of humanitarian aid for Syrian civilians affected by the country’s long-running civil war.  The airport remains closed, with most flights being directed to the airport in Aleppo.

“Serious concern was again expressed over the June 10 Israeli air force attack on the civilian airport of Damascus, which damaged the runway, navigation equipment and buildings, and disrupted international civilian air traffic,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement after Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met Israeli Ambassador Alexander Ben Zvi in Moscow. Russia also said that it is waiting for additional “clarifications” about the incident. Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war on the side of President Bashar Assad in 2015.

Israel publicly neither confirmed nor denied the attack. In recent years, and more frequently in recent months, Israel has been attacking what it calls Iranian-linked targets in Syria. On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi said during a Sunday conference that in a potential war, “any national infrastructure that supports terror is a target for attack.” Israel condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, but has struggled to remain neutral in its public comments.