Russia Sends Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Syria

Thursday 5 November 2015

Russia Sends Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Syria

Local Editor

Russia has sent missile systems to Syria to protect its military forces there, the head of Russia's air force said on Thursday.

Colonel General Viktor Bondarev said fighter jets could be hijacked in countries neighboring Syria and used to attack Russian forces.

"We have calculated all possible threats. We have sent not only fighter jets, bombers and helicopters, but also missile systems," Bondarev told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

He further confirmed: "We must be ready."

In an interview with the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, the Russian official highlighted that the anti-aircraft missiles are there to project Russian fighter jets from a possible attack or hijack while on mission.

"There can be different emergencies, such as hijacking the jet on the territory of a neighboring country or an attack on it," he said. "We should be prepared for that."
Bondarev did not specify the type of missiles Russia provided.

Russia and Western nations have been engaged in intense diplomatic talks in the past few weeks, aiming to bring about a political settlement in Syria.

A Russian deputy foreign minister said earlier this week that Moscow is aiming to host a round of talks between Syrian officials and opposition leaders next week. He said the Syrian government has agreed to participate but it's unclear which opposition groups might come.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

05-11-2015 | 09:47

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