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Conflict in Syria

Militants in Mideast states continuously receive weapons from abroad — minister

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Illegal armed formations in Mideast countries, including Syria, are interruptedly supplied with munitions and armament from abroad, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

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Russia sees US decision to supply MANPADS to militants in Syria as 'hostile move'

For example, the war in Syria has been going on for almost six years. And over all this time, armed opposition groups and mercenaries’ formations have been uninterruptedly supplied from abroad with ammunition, armament and other hardware required for conducting active warfare," the defense minister said in a lecture at the opening of the 2nd All-Russian youth forum: "International Military and Political and Military and Economic Cooperation: Modern Trends" at Moscow’s MGIMO University.

"Here are some figures. In our estimate, over the time of the armed conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, illegal armed formations have gotten hold of about 2,450 man-portable air defense systems, 1,750 anti-tank guided missile launchers, about 650 multiple launch rocket systems, over 24,000 various mines, and more than 600 tons of explosives," the minister said.

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Syrian conflict

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