Putin orders his forces in Syria to crush threats

(MENAFN- Arab News) MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Friday vowed to further modernize Russia's military and said that its forces in Syria will 'immediately destroy' any target threatening them a strong warning to Turkey following its shoot-down of a Russian warplane at the Syrian border.
Putin also said that while supporting the Syrian government forces Russia has provided air cover weapons and supplies to some units of the Free Syrian Army a Western-backed opposition group fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad's army. If confirmed it will represent a major policy shift for Moscow which has been accused by the West of striking moderate rebels instead of its declared goal the Daesh group.
Speaking at a meeting with the top military brass Putin named 'strengthening of the combat potential of strategic nuclear forces and the implementation of space defense programs' as a key priority. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the military has received 35 intercontinental ballistic missiles this year and put forward equally ambitious weapons modernization plans for next year despite Russia's economic downturn.
Without naming Turkey Putin said the military should respond in full force to any further 'provocations.' He said the Russian military base in Syria has been beefed up with additional aircraft and air defense weapons.
'I order you to act in the toughest way' Putin said. 'Any targets threatening the Russian groups of forces or our land infrastructure should be immediately destroyed.'
At the same time he said that the military should cooperate with the US-led coalition and Israel to ensure flight safety.
Putin claimed Friday that along with supporting the Syrian army Russia has also provided air cover for some units of the opposition Free Syrian Army in the provinces of Homs Hama Aleppo and Raqqa.
'We have provided air support for them as well as the Syrian army and also supplied them with weapons ammunition and supplies' Putin said.