President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his forces in Syria to take tough action against any threats, speaking two weeks after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in the war-torn country.
President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his forces in Syria to take tough action against any threats, speaking two weeks after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in the war-torn country.
“I order you to act as tough as possible,” he told a defence meeting.
“Any targets threatening the Russian grouping or our land infrastructure should be immediately destroyed.”
“I would like to warn those who would once again try to organise some sort of provocations against our servicemen,” he said in a thinly veiled threat to Ankara.
In November, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on the Syrian border, claiming it violated Turkish airspace.
After the downing of the jet, which led to the deaths of a pilot and another serviceman who tried to rescue him, Russia introduced economic sanctions against Turkey and beefed up its firepower at its airbase in Syria.
Mr Putin also claimed Russia was backing the Free Syrian Army with arms in joint operations with regime forces.
“Right now several of its units numbering more than 5,000 people as well as regular forces are conducting an offensive against terrorists in the provinces of Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Raqa,” Mr Putin claimed.
“In addition to that, we are supporting them (FSA) from the air as well as the Syrian Army, assisting them with weapons, munition and materiel.”
It was not immediately clear which rebel groups Mr Putin was referring to.
