Reports: Russia May Not Deliver S-300s to Syria this Year
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Russia may not deliver a hugely controversial consignment of S-300 air defense missile systems to the Syrian regime this year, two Russian newspapers reported Friday, rejecting claims the weapons had already arrived in the country.
The Vedomosti daily cited a Russian defense industry source as saying it was unclear if the weapons would be delivered to Syria this year while the Kommersant daily quoted its source as saying that delivery was only planned in the second quarter of 2014.
President Bashar Assad appeared to imply in an interview with al-Manar television broadcast Thursday that Russia had already delivered some of the promised ground-to-air S-300 missile systems.
But both sources quoted by Kommersant and Vedomosti said that no delivery of the missiles had taken place yet. The contract was agreed in 2010 and according to Vedomosti is worth $1 billion.
Kommersant added that after delivery in 2014, a minimum of another six months would be needed for the training of personnel and tests before the systems were fully operational.
The source quoted by Vedomosti meanwhile said that while the Russian government is currently insisting in public that the contract will be fulfilled, this does not mean that the actual deliveries will ever take place.
No further details were given.
The widely-admired missile systems are seen by analysts as having huge military importance for Assad in the conflict against rebels as the weapons could be used to ward off Western or Israeli air strikes against regime targets.
31 May 2013, 10:35
54
Lasho bado s 300 mahini 3an yeb3atolo asli7a wa zakhe2er mafi lkifiye la atel sha3bo lash sha3bo bi fada2 sourya sha3bo 3alared wa eza howi bi 7aji lashi bado swarikh la lmig wa scod wali rajmeto ta7imama yenzal 3al atfal wal abriya
31 May 2013, 15:41
43
Your Russian friends put another one is ASSad's behind, or in his coffin. His bluff was to scare off israelis.... And he just got betrayed. Jajajajajajajaja
31 May 2013, 20:04
01
My net worth Mowati. Don't report it, and everyone will see my worth. Thank you for advertising.
31 May 2013, 11:35
23
This news further bolsters GabbyMarch14's doubts and that of all March 14ers in that they have to physically go to Syria and inspect the missiles before they can confirm for all of us that they are present there. They did the same when the Iranians "claimed" to have downed an American drone. GabbyMarch14 and the March 14 warriors went to Iran and confirmed that it was possibly a fabrication. But what GabbyMarch14 and the other Nostras of March 14 and Lebanon First Some twenty-Four Damn Years and Still confirm is that the "ASSad" regime has already collapsed 7,592 times and shall continue to collapse ad infinitum.
31 May 2013, 13:36
23
Syria will never endanger Israel's interests and silly is anyone who thinks Syria is more important than Israel to the Russians. Which was the first state to recognize Israel? You guessed it. Russia.
01 June 2013, 04:19
00
Europe and russia didnt want their jews so they dumped them in the middle east and were happy to recognize israel since they only cared about getting rid of as many of their own jews and could care less of the chaos and danger it caused others. Russia cares only about its interests when it deals with the syrian regime or israel so the question is, what benefits russia more, give syria the missiles or not? That is what it comes down to and not about what the syrian regime or israel wants. Russia fears neither.
