MOSCOW- The Kremlin is highly concerned about the fact that terrorists active in Syria own man-portable air defense systems, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“We can definitely say that we are highly concerned about the fact that terrorists own man-portable air defense systems. It poses a great danger to all countries,” Peskov said, according to Itar Tass.
The potential of the Russian military contingent remaining in Syria is enough to deliver strikes against terrorists, he added.
“When Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the completion of the active phase of the operation to support the Syrian armed forces in their counter-terror activity, he said that the remaining potential of the Russian military contingent at temporary bases was sufficient to deliver a crushing blow against terrorists, if necessary,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on Saturday, members of the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (outlawed in Russia) used a man-portable air defense system to down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet, which was conducting a survey flight over Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone. The pilot managed to eject himself from the aircraft but was killed in a combat with terrorists.
H.M