Russia Threatens To Shoot Down U.S. Missiles, Target Launch Sites In Any Syria Strike

Source: NPR

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon has warned that his country will shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at Syria in a punitive strike on the Damascus regime over its alleged use of chemical weapons.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Alexander Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV Tuesday evening, speaking in Arabic, according to Reuters.

NPR's Lama Al-Arian, reporting from Beirut, reports that Zaspykin said he was quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The threat applies not only to the missiles, but to their launch sites, she says.

However, Zaspykin said that a clash "should be ruled out" and that Russia was "ready to hold negotiations."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/11/601419856/russia-threatens-to-shoot-down-u-s-missiles-target-launch-sites-in-any-syria-str