Putin warns of destorying any forces threatening Russian military in Syria

“We support it from the air, as well as the Syrian army, we assist them with weapons, ammunition and provide material support”. “We have provided air cover for them as well as the Syrian army, and also supplied them with weapons, ammunition and supplies”.

“Russia supplies weapons to the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic”, he said.

That being said, he did not clarify the situation about the supplies to the Free Syrian Army.

In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the top agenda item for Kerry in Moscow will be Russia’s failure to implement the Minsk ceasefire agreement. “Any targets threatening the Russian groups of forces or our land infrastructure should be immediately destroyed”.

Moscow’s military force in Syria has grown to about 4,000 personnel, but this and more than a month of Russian air strikes have not led to pro-government forces making significant territorial gains, USA security officials and independent experts said.

According to Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu the impact of Islamic State is becoming bigger in Syria, as almost 70 percent of the country is controlled by militants. “There is a threat that their activities might spread to Central Asia and the Caucasus”, Shoigu said.

A Russian pilot was killed in the downing of the Su-24 bomber, as was a marine sent on a rescue mission, badly damaging the normally close ties between Ankara and Moscow.

The president also warned against “those who will again try to organize any provocations against our servicemen”.

President Vladimir Putin said that a Russian military action in Syria is aimed at protecting Russia from extremists based there.

Turkey’s foreign minister says his country is refraining from responding to Russian efforts to hit back at Turkey over its downing of a Russian jet, but says the country’s patience is not without limits.

Moscow has been accused by the West of striking moderate rebels opposing Syrian President Bashar Assad instead of targeting Islamic State militants in Syria.

“Any targets threatening Russian forces or our ground infrastructure should be destroyed immediately, and I order (them) to act as tough as possible”, Putin, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, said at a meeting of senior Defense Ministry officials. He also added that the Russian air defense system required upgrading.

“Our actions there are not guided by some unclear abstract geopolitical interests, nor are they guided by a desire to practice and test new weapons systems which is of course important in itself”, Putin said.

Though the majority of the procurement agenda is not known publicly, Shoigu said the Russian Navy would receive seven new surface vessels and two submarines.