A picture shows two Russian S-400 Triumf missile system at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on December 16, 2015. / AFP / Paul GYPTEAU
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has denied a recent report claiming that the advanced S-500 air-defense system was tested in Syria.
In an official statement released on October 3, the ministry said that such systems are tested at the Ashuluk training ground in the Astrakhan region, where the conditions are not easier than in Syria.
“The S-500 is designed to combat ballistic and aerodynamic targets at long ranges. There was no need for testing or using the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the statement reads, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Russian daily Izvestia claimed in a report released on October 2 that key elements of the S-500 were tested in the “harsh technical and climatic conditions” of Syria.
Regarding Russian bases in Syria, the Russian MoD noted in its statement that they are protected by S-400, Pantsir-S1 and Tor-M2 air-defense systems as well as S-35 warplanes.
Developed by Russia’s defense giant Almaz-Antey, the S-500 Prometey has a record-breaking range of 600km. Serial production of the system is set to begin in the second half of 2020.
