MOSCOW, 18 August 2007 — Russia has begun delivery of modern air defense units to Syria while rejecting speculation that some of the weapons could be forwarded secretly to Iran. “The first part of the delivery to Syria has started,” the centrist daily Nezavissimaya Gazeta reported, quoting information from a domestic military information agency.
A spokesman for Russia’s arms export agency Rosoboronexport declined to comment on the newspaper report.
The report acknowledged that the delivery of the weapons, the Pantsyr-S1E self-propelled, short-range missile air defense system, was particularly sensitive in light of Israeli claims last year that Russian arms sold to Syria had ended up in the hands of Hezbollah.
Israel fought a brief war with Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon in July 2006 and afterward accused Russia of indirectly supplying Hezbollah with relatively sophisticated anti-tank weapons, an accusation Moscow denied.
Nezavissimaya Gazeta quoted an official involved in Russian arms export policy as describing concerns that Russian air defense weapons could be re-exported to Iran as “silly rumors.”
“This is not possible,” Vitaly Shlykov, a member of the state committee on foreign and defense policy, was quoted as saying. “One of the conditions for every deal is the prohibition on transfer of the weaponry to a third country.”
Officially, the contract was for the sale of 50 Pantsyr units for about $900 million. Media reports have put the number of units sold to Syria at around 36.
In May, the London-based arms specialist magazine Jane’s Defense Weekly reported that Syria had agreed to send Iran at least 10 of the Pantsyr units. That report was categorically denied by a range of top Russian officials including First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.
In another development, President Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that Russia would immediately resume the Soviet-era practice of sending strategic bombers on long-range flights well beyond its borders.
Speaking as he and Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up joint military exercises at Chebarkul in Russia’s Ural Mountains, Putin said: “We have decided to renew flights of Russian strategic aviation on a permanent basis.” “In 1992 Russia unilaterally stopped flights by its strategic aviation in distant military patrol regions. Unfortunately not everyone followed our example and strategic flights by other states continue,” he said, an apparent reference to the United States.
“This creates certain problems for ensuring Russia’s security,” he said.
Initial US reaction was mild. “That is a decision for them to take. It’s interesting,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington.
