Tension reaches an all-time high between Moscow and Washington, as Russia’s Defense Ministry warns the United States to carefully consider the consequences of striking Syrian army positions, because it would directly threaten Russian military personnel. The Russian Defense Ministry mentioned the recent deployment of its S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems as well as a more sophisticated air defense system, the S-400, which was already deployed in the war-torn-country to safeguard Russia’s Hmeymim airbase, located in the eastern part of Syria. The Defense Ministry also noted that the Syrian army has efficient air defense systems which were upgraded over the past year to assure their ability to react.
“Some respected mass media published leaks concerning discussions in the White House administration on possibility of carrying out strikes on Syrian army positions.” “I would recommend our Washington colleagues to carefully consider possible consequences of implementing such plans. Today the Syrian army is armed with rather effective air defense complex S-200, BUK and other air-defense systems, technical capabilities of which were restored last year. Besides I would like to remind US strategists that air cover of Russian airbases in Hmeymim and Tartus is provided by air defense systems S-400 and S-300, which radius of action could become a surprise for any unidentified flying objects,” said Igor Konashenkov, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman.
The US State Department reacted to Moscow, stressing that government talks on non-diplomatic measures in Syria continue despite the Russian warnings.
“We continue to have an active discussion in the United States government about options before us in Syria. And as I said — I think, a week or so ago — not all of those options revolve around diplomacy. And that remains the case today. And I’ve seen the comments out of Moscow, those comments notwithstanding, that conversation inside the U.S. government continues,” said John Kirby, US State Department Spokesman.
The state department spokesman noted however, that the US Administration was still pursuing diplomatic options to try to achieve a solution to the Syria conflict, even without Russian involvement.
“I don’t want to–, I think it’s safe to assume we’re looking at the full range of options here. And the–, those comments not withstanding we still have a responsibility as a government to consider all those options. What we’ve also said is that none of the other options that we’ve talked about to date are any better, or can lead, we don’t believe, can lead to a better outcome than what we’re trying to pursue through diplomacy. And we’re still trying even though we’re suspending bilateral cooperation with Russia, we’re still trying to pursue diplomatic solutions here. So, I just don’t want to–, I don’t think it’s useful or helpful for me to speculate one way or the other about, you know, these comments and the threats that they might embody,” added Kirby.
Since the beginning of the war in Syria, some five-and-a-half-years ago, some half a million people were killed and more than 11 million civilians were displaced, in what is the most horrendous refugee crisis since world war two.