RUSSIA TO SUPPLY S300 MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM TO SYRIA

Russia will provide advanced S-300 missile systems to Syria and directly link up with the air-defence network of its Middle Eastern ally, stepping up support for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad after the downing of a reconnaissance plane last week.

Moscow blamed the shootdown of the aircraft, which killed 15 Russian servicemen, on Israel, whose planes were attacking targets in Syria at the same time. Israel has long called on Russia not to provide the S-300 system to Syria and in 2013, the Kremlin agreed to put a deal to deliver them on hold.

But after the downing of the plane last week, “the situation has changed”, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said.

“We’re confident that these measures will cool ‘hot heads’ and prevent thoughtless moves that threaten our servicemen,” he said.

In the aftermath of the incident, President Vladimir Putin appeared to take a softer line with Israel than the military, noting that it was Syrian air defences that shot down the plane.

But on Monday, the Kremlin seemed to take a tougher stance, blaming the downing on “the deliberate actions of Israeli pilots” and saying Israel’s explanations weren’t convincing, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Putin spoke to Assad by phone Monday and informed him of the plan to provide the missiles, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Shoigu said the S-300 would be delivered to Syria within two weeks. Syrian air-defence command units will be connected directly to Russian command posts with automated systems that at present are deployed only in Russian units, he said. “Most importantly, this will guarantee that Russian aircraft are identified by Syrian air defences,” he said. Russia will also jam the electronic communications of aircraft attacking targets in Syria, he said. BLOOMBERG

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