Russia Supplies Syria with Cruise Missiles, Syria Suspends Trade with Turkey

Friday 2 December 2011

Russia Supplies Syria with Cruise Missiles, Syria Suspends Trade with Turkey

Local Editor

A military Diplomat in Moscow stated that Russia supplied Syria with Bastion coastal missile systems with Yakhont cruise missiles to Syria under a contract signed in 2007, RT reported Friday.

Another source told Interfax that "the Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles have been supplied as part of Bastion mobile coastal missile systems,” adding that “this is just the first part of the process, and now more time is needed to complete Syrian personnel training.”

“The missile system will enable Syria to protect its entire coast from a possible seaborne attack," he pointed out.
This comes after Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters earlier this year that Russia intends to fulfill this contract despite US and Israel’s opposition.
“The United States and Israel are asking us not to supply Yakhonts to Syria, but we do not share their fears that these weapons might fall into the hands of terrorists,” he said.

Russia has constantly rejected the Western countries’ insistence to condemn what they call “oppression” in that country, and has also opposed the decision to impose sanctions on Damascus.
In parallel, Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Lukashevich stated that sending warships by the US to the East Mediterranean complicates finding a settlement for the situation in Syria, creates additional factors of tension in the region and do not help in finding political ways to settle issues.

On the other hand, the European Union issued a decision Thursday to increase the economic sanctions on Syria, adding 11 companies and 12 individuals to the blacklist of sanctions.

In addition, the United States imposed economic sanctions on the Syrian Republican Guards’ Chief, on President Bashar Al-Assad’s uncle Mohammad Makhlouf, and a number of governmental organizations.

In contrast, Syria responded to Turkey's measures against it by suspending the Free Trade Zone agreement between the two countries, SANA quoted official Spokesman of the Syrian Foreign and Expatriate Ministry as saying Thursday.

In parallel, Syria suspended its membership from the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in response to European Union’s measures against it.

Spokesman at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said Thursday that the decision came in light of the escalated political and media campaign launched against Syria.