Russia may consider sending supplies of S-300 missile systems to Syria in the wake of recent US-led airstrikes, Russian General Staff Spokesman General Sergey Rudskoy said.
"I would like to note that a few years ago, taking into account a pressing request of some of our Western partners, we stopped supplying S-300 air defense systems to Syria,” Rudskoy said. But given the latest developments, Moscow believes it is “possible to return to mulling over the issue, and not only with regard to Syria but also to other states as well.”
Following the barrage of missiles aimed at “military and civilian” infrastructure, Damascus intercepted 71 out of 103 projectiles.
Syrian air defense systems S-125, S-200, Buk, and Kvadrat were involved in the operation to thwart the missile strike. The weapons date back to the times of the Cold War, as they “were manufactured in the Soviet Union,” the general added.
Syrian air defenses did all they could to protect the country. Ruptly footage shows surface-to-air missiles responding to the “one-time” strike on Damascus.
The offensive in retaliation to the alleged Assad-orchestrated chemical attack in Douma on April 7 came just hours before the UN's Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) experts were scheduled to visit the site on Saturday to determine whether chemical weapons had been used there last week.
Russia and Iran slammed the strikes as a clear violation of international law and said it would only contribute to more chaos in the region. Syrian President Bashar Assad said that Washington and the West simply realized they lost control and credibility in the conflict.