Kremlin: sending S-300s to Syria to defend Russian troops, not against third countries

Russia supplying Syria with the S-300 missile complex is a measure to protect Russian troops and is not directed against third countries, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in reply to the question about whether Russia supplying S-300 missiles to Syria can damage Russian-Israeli relations.

"It should be obvious to everyone that Russia’s actions aimed at ensuring security for its troops are necessary," he said. "This is why in this case, Russia is guided solely by these interests, these actions are not directed against third countries, they are meant to protect our own troops," the Kremlin spokesman noted.

"The situation concerning the safety of our troops, our pilots, which arose after this tragedy (Il-20 plane crash over the Mediterranean Sea), dictates the necessity to implement extra measures - effective and energetic measures," TASS cited him as saying.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier today that Syria’s air defense forces would be armed with S-300 air defense systems and that Russia’s radio-electronic warfare units will jam satellite navigation, onboard radars and communication systems of combat aircraft attacking targets in Syria. Also, he said that Russia would equip Syrian air defense command posts with automated control systems, previously supplied only to the Russian armed forces. Shoigu said it was one of the counter-measures to maintain security in Syria’s airspace after the loss of the Ilyushin-20 plane.