MOSCOW – Moscow has reportedly moved to prevent Israeli airstrikes inSyria, with Russian President Vladimir Putin warning Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu against the strikes.

Putin told Netanyahu that allowing Israeli strikes on Syrian militaryassets would undermine Moscow’s relations with Damascus, the Arabic editionof the UK-based Independent newspaper reported on Friday.

The report comes after Netanyahu met with Putin in the resort cityof Sochi on Thursday to discuss “security coordination” in Syria.

According to an unnamed Russian source cited in the report, Moscow has alsothreatened to use its “fighter jets or the S-400 air defense system” inorder to counter any Israeli aircraft striking Syria.

In August, Moscow stopped an airstrike on the strategic Qasioun region nearDamascus, where a Syrian S-300 missile battery is said to be placed,according to the report.

Moscow allegedly prevented another airstrike later on a Syrian outpost inthe southwestern province of Quneitra and a third in the western coastalprovince of Latakia.