Russia sends missile system to Syrian port as rift with US over five-year conflict deepens
UN rights chief calls for action to halt the “ghastly avalanche of violence” unfolding in Aleppo, Syria’s second city
Russia said Tuesday it has sent an advanced missile system to the Syrian port of Tartus, as tensions escalate between Moscow and Washington over the five-year conflict.
The announcement came after Washington said it was suspending talks with Moscow aimed at reviving a ceasefire deal over Russia’s support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On the ground, Assad’s forces advanced on rebels during intense street fighting in the opposition-held east of Aleppo city, which Russia has been accused of bombing indiscriminately including targeting its hospitals.
The S-300 is a purely defensive system and poses no threat to anyone
The UN rights chief called for action to halt the “ghastly avalanche of violence” unfolding in Syria’s second city, which is reeling from some of the most brutal fighting in the conflict.
Russia, which has denied its strikes have hit hospitals, said it was deploying an S-300 missile system to Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.
“The S-300 is a purely defensive system and poses no threat to anyone,” said defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. “It’s not clear why the placement of S-300 in Syria has caused such a stir among our western colleagues.”
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the Russian missile system would not affect operations in the US-led air campaign against Islamic State (IS) in northern Syria, and questioned why Moscow was making the move.
