The commander of the Russian Air Force says Russia has deployed antiaircraft missile systems to Syria.
In an interview with the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda published on November 5, Colonel General Viktor Bondarev said Russia made the decision because "we have calculated all possible threats."
For instance, he added, a military aircraft could be hijacked in a country neighboring Syria and used to attack Russian forces.
He did not specify the type of missiles deployed.
Bondarev also said Russia has more than 50 planes and helicopters stationed in Syria.
Moscow says it launched its bombing campaign in Syria on September 30 to target "terrorists," but the United States and its allies claim Russia's increasing military involvement in the Syrian conflict aims at beefing up President Bashar al-Assad.
