An AFP report says the Syrian air force has taken delivery of at least five fighter planes from Moscow, as well as reconnaissance aircraft which can help Syrian Forces identify targets with great accuracy.
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The top USA diplomat said it was not new that Russian Federation is supporting Assad, but argued that its actions would alienate Syrians and neighboring governments and serve to destroy Moscow’s influence in the region.
The United States, which is leading an global coalition in airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria, also is anxious about inadvertent interactions between Russian and U.S.-led coalition aircraft.
Russian Federation has acknowledged that it is sending military equipment to Syria, saying that it is intended to fight terrorism.
Pentagon officials said they weren’t certain if the development of the two new bases seen in the satellite images was related to Russia’s military presence at the airfield.
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was not immediately clear how many Russian drone aircraft were operating or the scope of their missions.
Russia’s assistance for the Syrian government has irked the United States.
After an 18-month freeze in military relations triggered by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation anger over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis, USA and Russian military officials held talks on Friday aimed at avoiding unintended incidents in Syria.
The U.S.is concerned Russian troops might directly support the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the over four-year-long conflict, exacerbating the fighting that has killed over 250,000 people and displaced some 11 million.
President Putin assured Netanyahu that “Syria in general is in such a state that it isn’t up to opening a second front” and that Russian Federation ” always will be very responsible” in its Middle East engagement. Israeli forces have reportedly conducted several strikes in Syria on attempted Iranian arms transfers to Lebanese Shi’ite movement Hizbollah, another Assad ally.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir described the Russian military moves as an “escalation” and reiterated at a recent meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that Syria can have no future while Assad remains in power.
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow.
