Media: Russia supplied additional anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria
The newspaper Kommersant reports, citing a military-diplomatic source, that Russia delivered additional shipments of Pantsir-class anti-aircraft missile (SAM) systems to the Syrian port of Tartus last week. At the same time, the source’s statement did not specify whether the Pantsir systems were sent for the use of Russian troops deployed at Syrian bases, or for the Syrian government army.
The newspaper’s source also confirmed that there are no S-300 SAM systems in Syria.
Pantsir-class SAMs, intended for the destruction of both air and ground targets, have already been used by the government army in Syria. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, 25 rockets were fired from a Pantsir S-1 during the Western coalition’s air strike, of which 23 hit their intended targets.
The Pantsir was also used in an attack against unmanned aerial vehicles on Khmeimim airbase in the province of Latakia in early January.
The day prior, the military-diplomatic source for a number of Russian news agencies refuted a message by the Syrian Ambassador to Moscow, Riyad Haddad, claiming that the S-300 air defense systems had been commissioned by the country a month ago. He pointed out that Damascus has Soviet-made systems.
Initially, Moscow's willingness to supply Damascus with S-300 systems was announced by Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, on April 14. On that day, a coalition force of the United States, Great Britain and France conducted a missile strike on Syria. The possible supply of S-300 complexes to Syria was also confirmed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.