An S-400 air defence missile system is deployed for a combat duty at the Hmeymim airbase to provide security of the Russian air group's flights in Syria. © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik
Russian officials have led the criticism against the U.S. decision to strike a Syrian airfield Thursday with cruise missiles despite admitting they received advance notice of the military attack.
“Yes, this information was provided… via the existing channels,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told state news agency Itar-Tass. Peskov refused to comment when asked by journalists why Russia did not intervene to stop the airstrike.
His silence was telling of crucial details that highlight Russia not only could have but perhaps was able to act with what CNN is reported to have been an hour’s notice prior to the strike. Its aftermath, with Russia accusing the U.S. of violating Syria’s sovereignty and a scrapped deal to prevent air clashes with U.S. jets, also puts Russian under more pressure than before to reign in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
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WNU Editor: The S-400 Russian air defense missile system is in operation in Syria by Russian military personnel .... and apparently it is more than capable to shoot down cruise missiles. The fact that the Russian military was given a one hour heads-up on this attack tells me that a decision was made to not engage .... and I am willing to bet that it was not the Russian military that made that decision, but Russian President Putin himself who told them to stand-down.
