Russia Delivers S-300 Missile To Syria’s Tartus Base
MEP: Moscow announced it has delivered an S-300 air defence missile system to its naval base in Syria’s port of Tartus.
“The missile battery is intended to ensure the safety of the naval base … It is unclear why the deployment of the S-300 caused such alarm among our Western partners,” a statement by Russian defence ministry said.
The information about the S-300’s deployment was confirmed by ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
“Indeed, the Syrian Arab Republic received an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system. This system is designed to ensure the safety of the naval base in [Syrian city of] Tartus and ships located in the coastal area [in Syria]…” he told the media.
The statement came hours after Fox News quoted three US officials as saying that Russia had sent the S-300 systems to Syria at the weekend in its first foreign deployment of such system outside its borders. The officials claimed that Moscow “continues to ramp up its military operations in Syria.”
A ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow collapsed last month.
“Let me remind you that the S-300 is a purely defensive system and poses no threat to anyone,” Maj-Gen Konashenkov said.
The spokesman said the system was similar to one earlier deployed at sea on the cruiser Moskva.
