Lavrov confirms Russian military present in Syria to deliver arms to army

The presence of Russian servicemen in Syria is tied to the deliveries of weapons to the Syrian government army, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, it was reported by Russian newspaper Kommersant that Moscow supplies Syrian government forces with firearms, grenade launchers and armored personnel carriers as the country is struggling with radical Daesh militants, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported.

"There are Russian military personnel in Syria, they have been there for several years. Their presence is tied to the deliveries of arms for the Syrian Army that is taking the brunt in the fight against terrorism from Daesh and other extremist groups, so Russian military personnel are there in order to help the Syrians master the equipment and prepare it for use in the anti-terrorist fight," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is providing aid to the Syrian army because it believes this is the only force capable of confronting the Islamic State.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia provides "considerable" support to Syria in terms of equipment, training and weaponry.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that Russian military specialists deployed in Syria were not participating in military operations in the conflict-torn country and were limited to an "advisory role."

Statements made by the United States regarding Russia's support to Syrian President Bashar Assad is allegedly strengthening Daesh are backward logic and a big mistake, Lavrov emphasized.

Source: MENA