Russia Reinforces Abkhazia & South Ossetia with S-300s

August 14, 2010 :: New York Times :: News

Russia has announced the deployment of S-300 surface-to-air interceptors to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two breakaway regions on the Georgian border. The breakaway of South Ossetia, of course, was the pretext for a Russian invasion of formerly Georgian territory in 2008 and the recognition, by Russia, of Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence.

Russian Air Force Commander Aleksandr Zelin, speaking to the Russian press, has said that the missile batteries—capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles—will be in place to protect "government borders." Russia has been aggressively exporting the S-300 system over the last decade to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Most recently, there was some controversy surrounding Russian plans to sell S-300s to Iran. (Article, Link)

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