Kremlin says will not comment on missile systems in Syria

Kremlin is not commenting on technical details of Russia’s operation in Syria, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday when asked to speak about the deployment of Russia’s missile systems in Syria.

"The operation is continuing, the support from the air for the offensive of Syria’s Armed Forces is going on. As for technical details of this operation, and the logistic ones, then the Defense Ministry should address these issues," Peskov said.

Peskov also declined to comment on Western media reports on the alleged two-fold increase of the Russian military forces in Syria. "I cannot comment on the unnamed sources," he said.

Commander-in-Chief of Russia’s Aerospace Forces Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper published earlier on Thursday that Russia has deployed anti-aircraft missile systems in Syria to counter a possible strike against its forces in the country and also to prevent attempts to hijack a warplane.

"We have studied all the possible threats. We sent there not only fighter jets, attack aircraft, bomber aircraft, helicopters but also missile systems. As various force majeure circumstances may occur," Bondarev said.

Bondarev explained that such emergency situations may be an attempt to hijack an aircraft and attack against Russian military in Syria. "We should be ready for this," he said.

Russia’s aerospace forces launched surgical strikes against terrorist targets in Syria on September 30 at the request of President Bashar Assad. The Russian air group in Syria comprises more than 50 warplanes and helicopters. Russia plans no ground operations in Syria.
  [tass.ru]
  5/11/15
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