Damascus claims it is firing at missiles and downing them, but continues to strike allied craft and civilian objects. Why do Syrians fire their SAMs so wildly?
Japan is highly sensitive to military moves by Russia on the strategically important chain of islands that stretch northeast from Japan's Hokkaido to the Russian Far East region of Kamchatka.
Amid the problems with his inner circle, Assad must also weigh new reports that assert his air defense systems are failing against attacks.
The suspected projectile hit a Cyprus mountain north of the Cypriot capital of Nicosia, a mere 140 miles from the Syria border.
The US also does not want a conflict in Idlib, not wanting more refugees pouring into Turkey. The US is also concerned about the Syrian regime using chemical weapons.
'The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down,' a Syrian army statement said.
Since the S-300 was deployed, it has been almost six months. It was supposed to not only be operational by now, but also have Syrians prepared to use it.
Satellite images show S-300 launchers erected in Syria's Masyaf
Russia delivered the defense system to Bashar Assad's regime in Syria in October, after Syria mistakenly downed a Russian plane during an Israeli strike on Iranian targets.
When the S-300 missile system was deployed it was portrayed as a game changer. But Reuters had reported in 2015 and again in October 2018 that Israel had trained against the S-300 system in Greece.
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