Russia has accused United States and its allies of conducting a missile strike involving air and naval carriers targeting military and civil facilities of Syria on Saturday.
In a press briefing made available to Daily Sun yesterday, Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, said Syrian air defence systems, which are primarily the USSR-made AD systems, have successfully countered the air and naval strikes.
He said Russian air defence systems at the Khmeimim and Tartus air base timely located and controlled all naval and air launches made by the US and the UK. He however said that an announced French aircraft was not registered by the Russian air defence systems.
Rudskoy said B-1B, F-15 and F-16 US aircraft as well as UK Tornado airplanes over the Mediterranean Sea, and the USS Laboon and USS Monterey located in the Red Sea were used during the operation. The B-1B strategic bombers approached the facilities over the Syrian territory near al-Tanf illegally seized by the USA.
According to Rudskoy, a number Syrian military airfields, industrial and research facilities suffered the missile-bomb strike but preliminary reported however indicate there were no civilian casualties and losses among the Syrian army. He said more information was being expected and would be made public.
He said available data shows that 103 cruise missiles have been launched, including Tomahawk naval-based missiles as well as GBU-38 guided air bombs fired from the B-1B; the F-15 and F-16 aircraft launched air-to-surface missiles. UK Tornado airplanes launched eight Scalp EG missiles.
In total, 71 cruise missiles have been intercepted. The S-125, S-200, Buk, Kvadrat, and Osa Syrian AD systems were involved in repelling the attack. It proves high efficiency of the Syrian armament and professional skills of the Syrian servicemen trained by the Russian specialists, he said. Over the last eighteen months, Russia has completely recovered the Syrian air defence systems, and continues its development.