Denied, semi admitted, now DELIVERED
GERTZ -MOSCOW — Russia is delivering an advanced surface-to-air missile system to Syria.
Officials said the state-owned arms export agency, Rosoboronexport, has been exporting the Pantsyr-S1E air defense system to Syria. They said deliveries began in 2007 and would continue over the next year.
The Pantsyr deal was said to have been financed by Iran. Officials said Russia would export 50 Pantsyr systems to Damascus in a nearly $1 billion sale.
"The first part of the delivery to Syria has started," the Moscow-based Nezavissimaya Gazeta daily said on Aug. 17.
Nezavissimaya Gazeta quoted a state-owned military information agency that reported the delivery to Syria. Later, officials acknowledged that the first shipment of an unspecified number of Pantsyr-S1E had arrived in Syria.
In May 2007, the London-based Jane's Defence Weekly placed the number of Pantsyr systems allocated to Iran at 10. Russian sources said up to 14 air defense units would arrive in Iran.
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