Russia to keep supplying Syria leader Bashar Assad's regime with "defensive" weapons

MOSCOW Russia will continue supplying weapons to Syrian President Bashar Assad's government despite the country's escalating civil war, the head of Russia's state arms trader said Wednesday.

Anatoly Isaikin, the director of Rosoboronexport, said that Russia sees no need to stop arms trade with Syria as it isn't prohibited by the United Nations. He dismissed Western criticism of Russian arms sales to Assad's regime, saying that his company has only delivered defensive weapons.

"In the absence of sanctions, we are continuing to fulfill our contract obligations," Isaikin said at a news conference. "But these aren't offensive weapons. We are mostly shipping air defense systems and repair equipment intended for various branches of the military."

Moscow has been the main protector of Assad's beleaguered regime, pooling forces with China at the U.N. Security Council to shield it from attempts to impose sanctions over its crackdown on a 23-month-old uprising which the U.N. human rights chief says has killed near 70,000 people.

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As the rebel offensive against Assad has intensified, the Kremlin has sought to distance itself from Assad, signaling that it is resigned to him eventually losing power. But Moscow has continued to oppose sanctions against Damascus and warned that the fall of Assad's regime could plunge Syria even deeper into violence and also encourage the rise of extremist groups across the region.

Russia has bristled at Western demands to stop providing Assad with arms, arguing that its weapons trade with Damascus doesn't contradict international law. In June, a Russian-operated ship carrying helicopter gunships and air defense missiles was forced to turn back to Russia after its British insurer canceled coverage for the vessel.

Russia acknowledged that the vessel was carrying three refurbished helicopters belonging to Syria, and criticized Britain for forcing the ship to turn back, saying that it wouldn't abide by European sanctions against the Assad regime.

The helicopters were repaired and sent back to Syria by a different Russian firm, and Isaikin insisted that his company hasn't shipped any combat planes or helicopters to Syria.

He said more deliveries will be conducted under existing contracts, but refused to give specifics.