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Putin: Russia will move S-300 air defense systems to its base in Syria

"We will take the most serious attitude to what has happened and all of our means will be employed for maintaining security," the Russian president states

NIZHNI TAGIL, November 25. /TASS/. Russia will employ every single resource available, including the S-300 system, to ensure the safety of flights over Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the media.

"The S-300 air defense complex will be moved to our air base in Syria. I do hope that this and other measures that we will take will be enough to make flights safe," he said.

"I would like to say that we will take the most serious attitude to what has happened and all of our means will be employed for maintaining security," Putin stated.

Earlier, the Russian defense minister noted that Russia's S-400 Triumf air defense systems will be moved to the Hmeimim air base in Syria.

On Tuesday, a Russian Sukhoi-24M bomber was downed with an air-to-air missile launched from an F-16 fighter of the Turkish Air Force. One of the pilots died and the other was rescued and brought to the Russian base. A Russian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed during the search and evacuation operation. One Marine serving in the army on contract was killed.

Turkey claims that the downed plane had violated its air space. The Russian Defense Ministry says the Sukhoi-24M stayed over Syria all the time and it was the Turkish fighter that violated the border during the attack.

The Russian General Staff has warned that Russia will be destroying all potentially dangerous targets over Syria and moved towards the Syrian shores its guided missile cruiser The Moskva armed with the Fort system (the sea-launched equivalent of S-300).