Russia offers to send replacements for Austrian troops on Israel-Syria border

Russia has stunned the international community by offering to replace Austrian troops withdrawn from the peacekeeping forces on the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights, despite its open political and military support for the Assad regime.

"Given the complicated situation in the Golan Heights, we could replace the leaving Austrian contingent in this region on the border between Israeli troops and the Syrian army," Vladimir Putin announced during a televised meeting with Russian military officers.

"But this will happen, of course, only if the regional powers show interest, and if the UN secretary general asks us to do so," the president added.

The decision to approve this offer sits with the UN security council, currently chaired by the UK, which is unlikely to judge Russia a neutral party in the Syrian conflict and suitable peacekeepers.

"That's Putin for you – just divorced and already looking for new adventures," one Israeli diplomat quipped.

Russia's application to provide boots on Syrian soil has been interpreted in Israel as an act of provocation to the US and its British and French allies, with whom it has engaged in a tense power struggle for influence in the Syrian civil conflict, rather than a viable offer.

The dispute reached its height last week after an EU decision to lift the arms embargo on Syria to allow the arming of rebel groups, when Russia insisted on honouring a deal to provide the Assad regime with "game-changing" S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems.

"That delivery of S-300 missiles is a $1bn deal – big money. But there are many other deals going on inside Syria through which Russia is trying to establish a foothold in the Middle East," another Israeli official said, on condition of anonymity.

Austrian soldiers have made up more than a third of the 1,100-strong United Nations Disengagement Force [UNDOF] employed to ensure that the cold peace between Syria and Israel brokered in 1974 holds. After an intense battle for the strategic border town of Quneitra, Vienna announced its decision to remove its troops due to the severity of the fighting. Israel has requested that the UN replace these troops as quickly as possible.

On Friday, the Philippines announced that it too was considering the withdrawal of its 341 troops from the border, after a Filipino soldier was injured during Thursday's intense shelling. Should the Filipino force follow the Austrians, only 352 Indian troops would be left – a situation Israel considers unthinkable given the security council's commitments to regional security.

The Philippine department of foreign affairs recommended last month that the force withdraw from the Golan Heights due to security concerns. However, the country's military chief, General Emmanuel Bautista, has openly opposed this position, insisting his troops are prepared for the dangers of conflict.

"You can't remove the risk. That is why we are there: to prevent conflict," he said on Friday.

Dozens of Syrians attempted to enter Israel through the Quneitra crossing point to escape Thursday's tank and artillery battle but were turned away by Israeli soldiers. Two injured rebel fighters were, however, taken by Israeli medics to Safed hospital, where staff reported discovering a hand-grenade in the pocket of one of the injured men.

Guardian news