Moscow Says Syria Campaign Shows 'Reliability' of Russian Arms
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Moscow's year-long bombing campaign in Syria has showcased the "reliability" of Russian weaponry, as the Kremlin has helped stabilize the war-ravaged country, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday.
"In that period we have managed to stabilize the situation in the country (and) liberate a significant part of the territory from armed international terrorist groups," Shoigu told a conference.
"Many types of modern weapons produced in our country were tested in difficult desert conditions and generally have shown their reliability and effectiveness."
The United States Monday suspended talks with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria in protest at Moscow stepping up its bombing campaign.
Russia launched its military operation in Syria last September at the request of the Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Moscow has used a range of new weaponry including long-range missiles fired from ships, submarines and warplanes against terrorist groups operating in Syria.
Those include the X-101 rocket that has a range of 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) and was fired from bombers that took off from bases in Russia, Shoigu said, AFP reported.
Built on the foundations of its Soviet-era predecessor, Russia's arms industry is a key source of income for the country and brought in some $14.5 billion (13 billion euros) in 2015.
