Moscow considers Greece's "plans' to transfer S-300s to Kiev hostile to Russia — FM

Moscow views Greece’s intentions to start supplying the Kiev regime with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems and other Russian or Soviet-type air defense systems as hostile to Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

"The authorities of Greece have recently intensified their statements about their readiness to supply Ukraine with S-300 PMU1 air defense systems on the condition that they receive an additional number of US Patriot air defense missile systems to replace them," Zakharova said.

"We view the provocative plans on the delivery of S-300 air-defense systems and its other modifications produced in the Soviet Union or Russia as an openly hostile move aimed against Russia," she stated.

According to Zakharova, the Greek authorities are unaware that by sending weapons to the war zone "they become direct accomplices of Ukrainian neo-Nazis," which wage "a criminal war against the civilian population of Donbass, the Regions of Zaporozhye and Kherson, including many ethnic Greeks living there."

"We also witness a complete indifference on behalf of the Greek side to the norms of the international arms trade, prohibiting its export to regions where it can end up violating international humanitarian law and provide for the escalation of conflicts," she said.

S-300 air defense systems are still operational in about 20 countries across the world, including CIS states and European countries such as: Slovakia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Greece, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Armenia, Abkhazia and Azerbaijan. According to open sources, Croatia also possesses some amount of S-300P surface-to-air missile systems while Ukraine mostly operates S-300PS and S-300PT modifications.