Russia threatens to retaliate against any U.S. missile strikes in Syria
Source: Meduza
Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon has unveiled what appears to be a major policy shift: Moscow will shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at Syria (not just the missiles fired at Russian soldiers) and it will target the launch sites. Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin’s comments were broadcast on Tuesday evening, according to Reuters.
The escalated threat may have been unintentionally improvised, says The Guardian’s Moscow bureau chief, Andrew Roth.
How is Zasypkin’s rhetoric different?
On March 13, Valery Gerasimov, the head of Russia’s General Staff, said, “Russia’s armed forces will take retaliatory measures against the missiles and launchers used” in attacks that pose “a threat to the lives of our servicemen.”