Although the material cannot be used for a nuclear weapon, it can be converted into a conventional explosive device that disperses radioactive material, known as a “dirty bomb”. Involving some 300 strikes in the span of a few days, the blow to the Syrian Air Force was especially devastating, according to Israeli media at the time. As part of the deal, some Russian military installations will be converted into joint Syrian-Russian training centres, according to the report. The deal significantly scales back the autonomous military footprint Moscow maintained under former Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose regime Russia supported during the civil war. The report quoted an Israeli security official saying, “We are monitoring developments in Syria and sharing our concerns with the United States.”