Donat Sorokin/TASS
Russia delivered three battalion sets of S-300PM missile systems, including 24 missile launchers, to the Syrian military, the Russian state-run news agency TASS reported on October 8 citing a military diplomatic source.
“On October 1, three battalion sets of S-300PM systems of eight launchers each were delivered to Syria,” TASS quoted the source as saying. “These systems were previously deployed at one of the Russian aerospace forces’ regiments which now uses the S-400 Triumf systems. The S-300 systems underwent capital repairs at Russian defense enterprises, are in good condition and are capable of performing combat tasks.”
The Syrian military also received over 300 surface-to-air missiles for the S-300PM, according to the report. The source pointed out that the systems were delivered free of charge.
Russia made a decision to supply the S-300 air defense system to Syria following the IL-20 incident in September. Moscow says that the military plane was shot down by Syrian air defense fire because of irresponsible and “hostile” actions of the Israeli military, which was delivering a strike on the Syrian province of Lattakia.
