MoD Source Refutes Reports Israeli Fighters Tricked Russian-Made Air Defense

Media reports about Israeli fighter jets "outsmarting" Russian radars in Syria while on a reconnaissance mission are "total rubbish," a source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Sputnik Thursday.

"The information published in a number of mass media outlets with reference to a foreign source, that 'Israeli fighters deceived the Russian radars in Syria and conducted reconnaissance at a high altitude' is a total stupidity," the source said.

Several media outlets earlier cited the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida as reporting that two F-35 stealth fighter jets had conducted a high-altitude reconnaissance mission over Iran, Iraq and Syria "deceiving" Russian radars deployed in Syria.

The source explained that any flying object flying at high altitude is an easy target to detect and destroy for air defense systems of most countries of the world. Ever since Soviet Union downed US U-2 spy plane, no one violates foreign airspace at high altitudes.

The source also underscored that Syrian air defense repeatedly proved its capability to down ait-to-ground missiles, whose reflective surface is significantly smaller than that of F-35 jet.

According to the source, the Russian air defense systems deployed in Syria "reliably protect" Russian military facilities in Tartus and Hmeimim.