Putin says Russian military forces can redeploy in Syria "in a few hours"
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Russia President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russian military forces can redeploy to Syria “in a few hours” if need be.
“If it becomes necessary,” he said, at a Kremlin ceremony made to honour officers who served in Syria, “Russia is capable of building up its groups of forces in the region to the level required by the situation in literally a few hours and use our entire arsenal. We wouldn’t like to do it … and we count on common sense of all sides, on the Syrian authorities and the opposition’s adherence to the peace process.”
Meanwhile a residual Russian force will remain in Syria ostensibly to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad against Islamic State (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra, both of whom have been excluded from the current ceasefire which went into effect last February 27 and the Geneva peace talks which restarted on Monday.
Putin also added that advanced Russian air defense missile systems, such as the S-400’s, will remain in Syria, “on continuous alert”, and will be used “against any targets that would threaten our servicemen.” In what was clearly a veiled threat against Turkey, which shot down a Russian warplane over the Syrian-Turkish border late last November, he also said that “all interested nations have been warned” that Russia will destroy any force which threatens its forces in Syria.
The Russian President’s comments come after he ordered a partial withdrawal of the “main part” of Russia’s forces in Syria. Following his order men begun returning home as did transport and warplanes Russia had stationed in that country.
“If it becomes necessary,” he said, at a Kremlin ceremony made to honour officers who served in Syria, “Russia is capable of building up its groups of forces in the region to the level required by the situation in literally a few hours and use our entire arsenal. We wouldn’t like to do it … and we count on common sense of all sides, on the Syrian authorities and the opposition’s adherence to the peace process.”
Meanwhile a residual Russian force will remain in Syria ostensibly to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad against Islamic State (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra, both of whom have been excluded from the current ceasefire which went into effect last February 27 and the Geneva peace talks which restarted on Monday.
Putin also added that advanced Russian air defense missile systems, such as the S-400’s, will remain in Syria, “on continuous alert”, and will be used “against any targets that would threaten our servicemen.” In what was clearly a veiled threat against Turkey, which shot down a Russian warplane over the Syrian-Turkish border late last November, he also said that “all interested nations have been warned” that Russia will destroy any force which threatens its forces in Syria.
The Russian President’s comments come after he ordered a partial withdrawal of the “main part” of Russia’s forces in Syria. Following his order men begun returning home as did transport and warplanes Russia had stationed in that country.