Russia has reportedly equipped its warplanes flying in Syria with air-to-air missiles for self-defense for the first time, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Russian news agencies.
The move comes one week after aRussian Su-34 fighter bomber was shot down by Turkish F-16 jets, in an incident that has heightened tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan.
The missiles, which are reportedly capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 37 miles, will supplement the state-of-the-art S-400 missile systems Russia says it has deployed to the Russian Hemeimeem air base near Latakia, Syria — about 30 miles south of the Turkish border.













