Russia’s Defense Ministry has announced the establishment of a hotline with Israel in order to ensure the two countries’ air forces will not clash in Syria, The Times of Israel reported today.

“Mutual information-sharing on the actions of aircraft has been established through a hotline between the Russian aviation command center at the Hmeimim air base and a command post of the Israeli Air Force,” ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency, adding that the two sides were undergoing training on how to cooperate.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last month that his country was increasing its involvement in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Moscow in order to coordinate operations of each country’s air force. Accounts of the meeting indicated that Israel and Russia would limit their operations in Syria so as not to inadvertently clash with one another. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said days later that he expected that Russia would not limit Israel’s “freedom to act” against Hezbollah in Syria.

[Photo: Basal Awidat / Flash90 ]