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Russia has completed the delivery of the S-300 ground-to-air missile system to the Syrian army as part of the new security measures taken following the fall of a Russian aircraft last month.
Russian Defense Minister Sergi Shoigu said Tuesday at a meeting of the country's security council that his army had "completed the delivery of the S-300 systems," including a total of four platforms launch.
Shoigu said that it would take three months to train the Syrian army to use the new air defense systems, while the integration of Russian and Syrian air defenses into a system automated single would be completed by October 20.
"We are now controlling a narrow zone of up to 50 km and the area 200 km from which attacks on Syrian territory have been launched," said Shoigu.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, joined the seven-year war in 2015.
The decision to deliver the modern defense system was made following the destruction of a Russian reconnaissance aircraft Il-20, which was accidentally hit by a Syrian missile, killing 15 people.
Moscow said Israel was guilty, with I-20 having been caught between two fires, while four Israeli F-16s had attacked targets in northwestern Syria.
The Israeli army said the indiscriminate shooting of Syrian air defense was the cause of the incident.
"A serious escalation"
The United States has called the Russian decision to arm the Syrian army with "serious escalation".
Heather Nauert, spokeswoman for the US State Department, said Tuesday that she could not confirm that the system had been delivered by Russia, but that this would pose a "problem".
"I hope this is not the case," Nauert told reporters during an interview in Washington regarding the announcement made by Russia. "It would be a kind of serious escalation."
Russia / Israel on the tightrope
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Can Moscow curb Israel's actions in Syria? |
In the past six years, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks in Syria, ranging from rocket fire to air raids, which have increased in intensity and frequency since 2012, when Iranian paramilitary fighters joined the conflict. .
Israel has carried out about 200 air strikes in the last two years, according to its officials.
Since entering the Syrian conflict, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks in the interior of the country.
Israel and Russia have also set up a telephone line to prevent their air forces from fighting over Syria.
Moscow has tried to maintain good relations with Iran, which is allied with the Syrian government as well as with Israel.
A dispute between Israel and Russia could limit Israel's ability to organize air raids in Syria on what it considers to be the greatest threat to its security stemming from the conflict in Syria: strengthening Iranian forces or Hezbollah fighters backed by Iran.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
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