"From this moment on, I order our military to destroy any type of target that could threaten the Russian armed forces in Syria. I order that all threats to the Russian military or infrastructure be removed. The answer must be hard and immediate.
The Pentagon warns us not to arm our fighters. Instead, I reiterate the message to those who will once again try to organize possible provocations against our military. We have already taken additional measures to ensure the safety of our military. We have strengthened our fleet with additional aviation groups and missile defense systems. All raids are carried out under the escort of armed fighters for air-to-air confrontation.
You say not to arm us, I tell you to be careful not to provoke us. I have mandated the Defense Ministry to coordinate all actions in Syria with Israel and the US-led international coalition. Our actions are not driven by unclear geopolitical interests or a desire to experiment with our new weapon systems. We are also in Syria to defend the interests of our country. The goal is to avert a future threat to the Russian Federation".
This is what Russian President Vladimir Putin said during an extended session of the college of the Ministry of Defense.
