The claim comes as Washington accuses Moscow of a military build-up in Syria, where Russia has backed President Bashar al-Assad's regime against an uprising of more than four years.
"Russian forces are building a long runway capable of accommodating large aircrafts near the Hmaymeen military airport in Latakia province," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The monitor, which relies on a network of civilian, military and medical sources inside Syria, said "the Russians are preventing Syrians, whether military or civilian, from entering the area where they are building the runway."
"In recent weeks, military airplanes arrived in Hmaymeen carrying military equipment and hundreds of Russian military advisers and technicians," the group said.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said sources also reported that Russia was enlarging the Hamadiyeh airport in Tartus province, another regime stronghold that is south of Latakia.
The airport is currently used by aircraft that spray crops with pesticide.
They also reported the arrival of dozens of Russian naval infantry and the installation of temporary housing sufficient for "hundreds of people" at Latakia airport, along with portable air traffic control equipment.
Russia will continue with military supplies to Syria, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies on Sunday.
"There were military supplies, they are ongoing and they will continue. They are inevitably accompanied by Russian specialists, who help to adjust the equipment, to train Syrian personnel how to use these weaponry," Lavrov said.
Lavrov also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is traveling to New York for the UN General Assembly meeting later this month, plans to address the assembly on the topics of Syria, the conflict in Ukraine, the state of the global economy and sanctions against Russia.
"He [Putin] will touch specific aspects, such as Syria, the Ukraine crisis. All these crises arise from systemic problems regarding attempts to freeze the process of forming polycentric world," Lavrov said.
The United States and its allies oppose Assad, whose government has been fighting an array of insurgent groups, including hard-line Sunni Islamist militants, Islamic State (IS). A US-led coalition is conducting airstrikes on IS in Syria and Iraq.
Moscow says its military assistance to the Syrian army is in line with international law and that Russian servicemen, including military experts, have been present inside Syria for many years, including before the start of the war.
Lavrov was quoted as saying that Russia is and will continue taking in those who qualify as refugees, as nearly half Syria's pre-war 23 million strong population attempt to flee to Europe.
globaltimes.cn
14/9/15
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Russia has positioned about a half dozen tanks at a Syrian airfield where it has been steadily building up defenses, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter...
ReplyDeleteOne of the U.S. officials said seven Russian T-90 tanks were seen at the airfield near Latakia, a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The two U.S. officials said Russia had also positioned artillery there.
Reuters
Russia Has No Plans to Build Military Air Base in Syria...
ReplyDeleteEarlier, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Davis said that the US military is seeing movement of people and equipment, which may indicate that the Russians are planning to set up a base south of Latakia.
However, Russian military experts have said that Russia is not planning to build a military air base in Syria, RIA Novosti reported.
According to Russian former head of the International Treaty Directorate of the Defense Ministry Lieutenant-General Yevgeny Buzhinsky, construction of the Russian air base near Latakia is disadvantageous as it would require spending considerable time and resources, which seems unreasonable in the current conditions.
“There is no sense in creating a military air base there (Syria). Judge for yourself: it is a very expensive and technically complex thing that cannot be done in just a few months,” the expert said.............http://sptnkne.ws/JKk
15/9/15