JERUSALEM, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Israeli officials are trying to prevent Russia from selling missiles to Syria, fearing they will reach Hezbollah and be used to attack Israel, Haaretz reported.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to stop selling Syria advanced weaponry, including the P-800 Yakhont supersonic cruise missile, the newspaper said Friday.
The missile, said to be highly accurate, has a maximum range of 186.4 miles and carries a 440.9-pound warhead. One of its unique features is its ability to cruise low, making it difficult to identify on radar, the report said.
Israeli security officials expressed fears the missiles would pose a direct threat to Israel's navy.
Netanyahu told Putin that all weaponry sold to Damascus would eventually end up in the hands of Hezbollah and be used against Israel, the newspaper said.
As an example, the Israeli prime minister cited Russian missiles sold to Syria that Hezbollah fired at Israel in the second Lebanon War in 2006. He also said Syrian-acquired, Chinese-made C-802 anti-shipping missiles were used by Hezbollah to target an Israeli destroyer, Haaretz said.
