MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin called for refraining fromactions destabilizing the situation in Syria during his phone conversationwith Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Kremlin press-servicereported.

“Upon an initiative of the Israeli side, a telephone conversation tookplace between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu. The Syrian issue was discussed, including the recentmissile strikes on the T-4 airfield in Homs by the Israeli Air Force.

Vladimir Putin stressed the fundamental importance of respecting thesovereignty of Syria and called for refraining from any actions that mightfurther destabilize the situation in the country and pose a threat to itssecurity,” the report said.

The day before, Israel’s envoy to Russia Gary Koren met with Russian DeputyForeign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov to discuss the attack on the Tiyas airbase, located outside of Palmyra in central Syria, attributed to Tel-Aviv.

The conversations took place after, on April 9, two F-15 Air Forcewarplanes carried out a missile strike on the T-4 airbase in Syria fromLebanese airspace. As the Russian Defense Ministry later specified, Syrianair defense units had managed to destroy five out of eight missiles firedby the Israeli fighter jets. Three missiles reached the western part of theairfield, resulting in the death of 14 people, including 7 Iranian soldiers.

Responding to the attack, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called it an”aggression and violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrityof Syria, which contradicts all international laws and norms.”