Kremlin Refuses to Comment on S-300 Supplies to Syria

Presidential aide Yury Ushakov would neither confirm nor deny allegations that the first batch of S-300 missiles has already arrived in Syria. Yesterday, Al Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper, quoted an interview by Bashar al-Assad for the Al-Manar channel. Specifically, the Syrian president was quoted as saying that "Syria has received the first batch of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles." "I'd rather refrain from specifying whether or not it was the first or the second batch. I have no idea what batches he was talking about," Ushakov said when confronted with the question regarding the first deliveries of S-300 missiles to Syria. Russia repeatedly claimed that the defensive equipment is supplied to Syria under contracts signed before the conflict in the country. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov would neither confirm nor deny allegations that the missiles had been delivered to Syria at a news conference on May 28.

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