Syria experience of Russia to strengthen armed forces, create new weapons

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia’s defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country’s leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow’s role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP)

The Russian military contingent’s experience gained in the struggle against terrorists in Syria will help strengthen Russia’s Armed Forces and develop new-generation weapons, Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu said on July 15, TASS reports.

The Russian defense minister spoke at a military and scientific conference on the military and political results of using the armed forces in Syria and basic strategic conclusions.

“At the military and scientific conference today we’ll generalize the experience of using the Russian grouping in Syria and also analyze the problems of conducting warfare and making supplies for it,” the Russian defense minister said.

“This will help elaborate proposals on further developing the Armed Forces and raising their combat capabilities and developing new-generation armaments,” Shoigu said.

According to the Russian defense minister, “the situation in Syria was critical” by the start of the Russian military operation in that country while terrorists controlled over 70% of the country and continued to develop an offensive in all the directions.

“The state’s resources were being depleted. Most experts predicted the events would further develop under the Libyan scenario and the state would inevitably disintegrate,” the Russian defense minister said.

The recently prosperous country “was becoming a source of the spread of the terrorist threat,” Shoigu said.

“A clear threat to Russia’s national security was emanating from that Middle East region,” the Russian defense minister said.