Russian Arms 'to Deter Foreign Intervention in Syria'

Russian Arms 'to Deter Foreign Intervention in Syria'

Russia says it will go ahead with deliveries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, and that the arms will help deter foreign intervention.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the missiles were a "stabilising factor" that could dissuade "some hotheads" from entering the conflict.

Russia also criticised an EU decision not to renew an arms embargo on Syria.


Meanwhile, the BBC has heard evidence that 200 people were killed in a massacre in western Syria this month.

Opposition activists said they had documented the civilian deaths in al-Bayda and Baniyas after government troops and militias entered the towns.

'We know what to do'

The S-300 is a highly capable surface-to-air missile system that, as well as targeting aircraft, also has the capacity to engage ballistic missiles.

It is broadly comparable to the US Patriot system which has been deployed by Nato to guard Turkish air space against attack, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus.

Mr Ryabkov said the contract for the missile systems had been signed several years ago.

"We consider these supplies a stabilising factor and believe such steps will deter some hotheads from considering scenarios that would turn the conflict international with the involvement of outside forces," he was quoted as telling journalists, in a coded reference to the use of Nato warplanes in Libya.

Mr Lavrov added that the EU's decision not to renew its arms embargo on Syria would directly harm the prospects for a proposed peace conference next month.

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RUSSIAN S-300P SYSTEM

Type: Surface to air missile system

Nato designation: SA-10 "Grumble" - SA-20 "Gargoyle"

Origin: First developed in 1967 but has undergone many updates since

Capability: Can carry a range of missiles, depending on model. For example, an S-300PMU with 48N6 missiles has a range of 5-150km at an altitude of 10-27,000m

Objective: Defence against aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles

Source: James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; RUSI
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Russia's envoy to Nato, Aleksandr Grushko, said Moscow was acting "fully within the framework of international law" in delivering the arms.

"We are not doing anything that could change the situation in Syria," he said.

"The arms that we supply are defensive weapons."

There had previously been a reluctance to mention the sophisticated weapons system by name, and the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says the latest Russian statements could be seen as an escalation.

There had been reports that Moscow was holding back on delivering the arms, in exchange for an Israeli commitment not to carry out further air raids over Syria, our correspondent says.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said the Russian missile systems had not yet left Russia.

"I hope they will not leave, and if, God forbid, they reach Syria, we will know what to do," he said.

Russia has repeatedly blocked efforts to put more pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Along with the US, it has been leading efforts to organise an international peace conference on Syria next month.

The Syrian opposition has not said whether to attend the conference, and was locked in talks in Istanbul, Turkey, as an unofficial deadline to decide on its attendance passed.

'Clear signal'

On Monday, the EU said member states would be able to decide their own policy on sending arms to Syria, after foreign ministers were unable to reach the unanimous decision required to extend the current arms embargo past Saturday.

However, in a declaration announced after 12 hours of talks, it agreed not to "proceed at this stage with the delivery" of equipment.

The EU's Foreign Affairs Council is to review this position before 1 August, in light of fresh developments to end the conflict including the ongoing US-Russia peace initiative.

The EU embargo, first imposed in May 2011, applies to the rebels as much as the Syrian government.

Britain and France had been pressing for the ability to send weapons to what they call moderate opponents of President Assad, saying it would push Damascus towards a political solution to the two-year conflict.

Other EU states had opposed sending arms.

A spokesman for UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the decision sent an unambiguous message to President Assad.

"We are sending a signal loud and clear to the regime and being very clear about the flexibility we have if the regime refuses to negotiate," he said.

George Jabboure Netto, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Council said the dropping of the arms embargo was a "step in the right direction", though a spokesman for another grouping, the Syrian National Coalition, said the move might be "too little too late".

More than 80,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million have fled Syria since the uprising against Mr Assad began in 2011, according to UN estimates.