Russia says 'no victims' among Syrian civilians, military

MOSCOW: Russia's defence ministry said Saturday the Western strikes claimed no victims among Syrian civilians or military.

"According to preliminary information, there were no victims among peaceful civilians and the Syrian military," senior military officer Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing in Moscow.

The Russian military said that 103 cruise missiles were fired including Tomahawk missiles but that Syrian air defence systems managed to intercept 71 cruise missiles.

"All together, 103 cruise missiles were deployed," senior military officer Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing in Moscow. "71 cruise missiles were intercepted."

Rudskoi said Syria had Soviet-made defence systems that Moscow has "completely overhauled," including S-200 systems and Buk missiles.

He called the lack of casualties the result of the "excellent skills of the Syrian military trained by our specialists."

Moscow could now revisit its decision not to supply Damascus with its more recent S-300 air defence system, Rudskoi said.

"Considering what has happened, we consider it possible to reassess this question and not just as far as concerns Syria, but other countries too," Rudskoi said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2013 said after talks with European Union leaders that Moscow had refrained from supplying the powerful S-300 air defence systems to Assad's government.

However Russia has S-300 and the more recent S-400 systems protecting its air base and naval facility in Syria.