Russia to sell 10 MiG fighter jets to Syria

Russia is to sell at least 10 fighter jets to the Syrian government amid heated international debate over arms supplies to the violence-stricken country.

Sergei Korotkov, director general of the government-controlled MiG aircraft manufacturer, said it planned to sign a contract to send the MiG-29 M/M2 planes to Damascus.

"A Syrian delegation is presently in Moscow," he said, according to Russian news agencies. "The details and timescale of a possible contract for delivery are being discussed." Other reports suggested a contract had already been signed some time ago.

The Kremlin supports Syria's Bashar al-Assad and has resisted western attempts to censure his regime for alleged atrocities during the country's two-year civil war. More than 70,000 people have died in the fighting.

This week, Britain and France forced the European Union to lift an arms embargo on Syria, opening the way for western-backed rebels fighting Mr Assad's forces to receive weapons supplies.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK had no immediate plans to send arms to the rebels but could now do so whenever it liked.

Moscow reacted sharply to the end of the embargo, promising to deliver S-300 air defence batteries to Damascus as a means of restraining "hot-heads" who it claimed were pushing for outside intervention in the conflict.

Reports in the Russian media on Friday rejected claims the weapons had already arrived, with the Vedomosti daily citing a Russian defence industry source as saying it was unclear if the weapons would be delivered this year.

Mr Assad confirmed in a television interview on Thursday that Russia was fulfilling contracts to supply him with arms, although he did not make clear if S-300s had been delivered.

In a March weapons order uncovered by US media, the Syrian army requested its Russian supplier to provide a quote for 20,000 Kalashnikovs and 20 million rounds of ammunition, among other hardware.

By Tom Parfitt, Moscow

Telegraph