Russia to supply 10 fighter jets to Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Russian arms manufacturer has said it is signing a contract to deliver at least 10 fighter jets to Syria, Belfast Telegraph reported.

Sergei Korotkov, general director of the MiG company that makes the jets, told Russian news agencies a Syrian delegation was in Moscow to discuss terms and deadlines of a new contract supplying MiG-29 M/M2 fighters to Syria.

Korotkov did not say how many MiGs Syria was buying, but said it would be "more than 10". Russia has previously said that it would only fulfil outstanding arms contracts with Syria. Over 70,000 have died in the two-year Syrian civil war.

Earlier, President Bashar Assad said he remained "confident in victory" in his country's civil war and warned that Damascus would retaliate in kind to any future Israeli air strike on his territory.

Assad also told the Lebanese TV station Al-Manar that Russia has fulfilled some of its weapons contracts recently, but he was vague on whether this included advanced S-300 air defence systems.

The comments were in line with a forceful and confident message the regime has been sending in recent days, even as the international community attempts to launch a peace conference in Geneva, possibly next month.

The strong tone coincided with recent military victories in battles with armed rebels trying to topple him.