Kremlin does not comment on plans to open Russian military base in Syria

BURABAI (Kazakhstan), October 16. /TASS/. The Kremlin does not comment on plans of opening a Russian military base in Syria. "Officials from Defense Ministry and General Staff should be asked about military reasons," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked to comment on the statement made by Russian General Staff. "By asking this question, do you imply that Russian General Staff makes certain decisions without informing the Supreme Commander-in-Chief," Peskov noted in response to a question about Kremlin’s attitude toward this initiative. Deputy chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Col. Andrei Kartapolov said earlier that Russian General Staff does not rule out opening a military base in Syria with Navy, Air Force and ground forces. "I would most likely talk about opening one Russian military base. It will be one base that will include several components - Navy, Air Force and ground forces," Kartapolov said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily. Russia has a naval facility in Tartus. The unit of Russian Aerospace Defense Forces - more than 50 jets and helicopters - is stationed at the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia. At the end of September , Russian Federation Council unanimously granted permission to the Russian president to use the nation’s military force in Syria. Russia will use only its Air Force in Syria against Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups upon the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Kremlin chief of staff Sergey Ivanov said, stressing that no ground troops will be sent. Russian Aerospace Defense Forces started delivering targeted strikes against IS facilities on Wednesday, September 30. Read more