The delivery of Russian S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Syria has been postponed to 2014, even though that country has already made an advance payment for the weapons, the Vedemosti daily reported today.
According to the Russian newspaper, some of the weapons ordered by Syria have already been produced, but have not been delivered to that country, even though Russia has paid an advance in the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars. A contract worth one billion dollars on the delivery of Russian S-300 missiles to Syria was signed in 2011.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the beginning of June that Moscow "for now" has not delivered missiles to Syria, so as not to "upset the balance of power".
During his visit to Russia in July, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil stated that the contract on the delivery of Russian missiles is still valid.
The modern anti-aircraft defense system, which should be supplied to Syria, is of particular concern to Israel, which fears that the Shia Lebanese movement Hezbollah, which is an ally of Damascus, could reach it, according to the Agence France-Presse.
At the end of May, the USA and Germany told Russia that it should not send S-300 missiles to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, because it could prolong the civil war in Syria. In addition, that system can complicate the plans of the US and its allies for a possible air intervention in Syria, France Press adds.
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