Russia claims weapons systems perfected thanks to war in Syria

"Russia's military campaign in Syria has achieved many successes and I can confirm that our weapons and equipment are very modern, perfect, and can meet all needs and combat conditions,"TASSAugust 11 quoted a statement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Mr. Shoigu paid special attention to Russian-made air defense weapons systems, saying they have proven effective by successfully shooting down a series of enemy cruise missiles.

Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov announced in February that the country had tested more than 200 new weapons models in the campaign against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.

According to Mr. Shamanov, the Russian defense industry is increasingly effective and it is no coincidence that more and more countries, including countries that are not Russia's allies, are looking to buy weapons from Moscow.

However, many Western experts expressed doubts about the Russian Defense Ministry's statement. They cited Moscow's recent announcement that it would not mass produce the Su-57 5th generation stealth fighter despite it having been tested in real-life conditions on the Syrian battlefield.

Russia began its military campaign in Syria in late September 2015, helping the Syrian army liberate most of the territory from terrorist and rebel groups. Despite withdrawing part of its forces from Syria, Russia still maintains a long-term military presence at two bases, the port of Tartus and the Hmeymim airport in this Middle Eastern country.