March 17, 2016
Source: Vineyard of the Saker
At a meeting in the Kremlin’s St George Hall, Vladimir Putin
presented state decorations to service personnel and defence industry
specialists who distinguished themselves in the performance of special
missions in the Syrian Arab Republic. More than 700 officers and men
of the Aerospace Forces, the Ground Forces and the Navy attended
the ceremony, along with representatives of the military-industrial
complex.
[Note from the Saker: emphasis added by me, the Saker]
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrade officers, friends,
I would like to welcome you ~ all the service personnel who took part in the operation in Syria.
All of you ~ pilots, sailors, service personnel of control bodies,
of special purpose units, intelligence, communication and procurement,
military advisers ~ acted consistently and with precision.
Words of special gratitude go to the female service personnel. You
serve alongside men, with persistence and dignity. Your choice in life
brings you our deep respect.
Thank you all for your dedication to our Fatherland.
Russia is proud of you, of its soldiers and officers who protect
the interests of their homeland with a great degree professionalism
and courage.
Comrade officers,
You remember what the situation was like in September of 2015. Back
then, a significant part of the country was seized by terrorist groups,
and the situation was getting worse.
In full compliance with international law, at the request
of the legitimate government and the country’s president, we made
a decision to launch our military operation. From the very start, we
were very clear about its goals: support of the Syrian army in its
lawful struggle with terrorist groups. Our actions were also timed
for the period of active assaults against the terrorists. We stated
clearly that we did not intend to get involved in an internal Syrian
conflict. Only the Syrians themselves should seek a final solution
and decide their country’s future.
The main target of our operation was terrorism. The struggle against
international terrorism is a fair and righteous cause. This is
a struggle against enemies of civilisation, against those who bring
barbarity and violence, trying to renounce the great spiritual,
humanitarian values that the world rests on.
I would like to repeat that the main goal of our actions in Syria was
to stop the global evil and not to let terrorism spread to Russia.
And our country has demonstrated its unquestionable leadership,
willpower and responsibility.
Regarding the results we have achieved. Your actions and intense
combat effort turned the situation around. We did not let this terrorist
tumour grow, destroyed the bandits’ hiding places and munitions depots
and blocked oil smuggling routes that brought the terrorists their main
funding.
We have done a huge amount of work to support the lawful Syrian
authorities ~ this is what I spoke about when addressing the United
Nations on the organisation’s 70th anniversary. We
strengthened their armed forces, which are now capable of not only
holding back the terrorists, but also of conducting assault operations
against them. The Syrian army has gained the strategic initiative
and continues clearing its land of terrorists.
The main thing is that we have created conditions for the start
of a peaceful process. We have managed to achieve positive, constructive
cooperation with the United States of America and a number of other
countries, as well as with the responsible political forces within Syria
that truly wish to stop the war and find the only possible political
solution to the conflict. It was you, Russian soldiers who opened up
the road to peace.
Comrade officers,
After the ceasefire agreement was reached between the opposition
and government forces, the scope of work for our aviation units was
significantly reduced. The number of sorties went down threefold from
60–80 to 20–30 a day.
This made the grouping we had created there excessive in the military
sense. The decision to withdraw a significant part of our service
personnel and equipment was coordinated with the President of Syria
Bashar al-Assad, who was notified of our plans in advance and supported
them.
I would like to add that in our joint statement, Russia and the United States stressed that the struggle against terrorist organisations, recognised as such by the UN, will continue.
Meanwhile, the government troops in Syria will not conduct any action
against the armed units of the Syrian opposition that indicated their
commitment to a ceasefire.
At the same time, I would like to stress that any group
violating the ceasefire will be taken off the list provided
by the United States, with all the consequences that come with it.
In this connection, I would like to specify the tasks our service personnel remaining in the Syrian Republic will be working on.
I will repeat that the primary task is to monitor ceasefire and create conditions for a political internal dialogue in Syria.
Our bases in Syria are at Tartus and Khmeimim, the service personnel there are reliably protected from land, sea and air. All
the components of the deployed air defence system, including close
range Pantsir-F and long-range S-400 Triumph units will be on regular
duty.
I would like to note that we have significantly restored the potential of the Syrian air defence forces as well. All the parties concerned have been made aware of this. We proceed from fundamental international norms ~ nobody has the right to violate the airspace of a sovereign country, Syria in this case.
We have created together with the American side an efficient mechanism to prevent air incidents, but all
our partners have been warned that our air defence systems will be used
against any target that we deem to be threatening Russian service
personnel. I want to stress ~ any target.
We will of course continue to provide assistance
to the lawful Syrian government. This assistance is comprehensive
in nature and includes financial aid, supplies of equipment and arms,
assistance in training and building Syrian armed forces, reconnaissance
support and assistance to headquarters in planning operations.
And finally, direct support, I mean, the use of our space force
and strike and fighter aviation. The Russian forces that remain in Syria
are enough to ensure this.
We will continue to assist the Syrian army and authorities in their
fight against the so-called Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and other
terrorist groups that have been declared as such, as I have said,
by the UN Security Council. Our uncompromising attitude to terrorism
remains unchanged.
What will the balance of forces be like after the reduction of the Russian group? A balance would be ensured.
Moreover, I am certain that with our support and strengthening
of the Syrian army, we will shortly see the patriotic forces there
achieve success in their struggle against terrorism.
As you may know, fierce fighting is on around Palmyra
and on the approaches to the city. I hope this treasure of the world
civilisation, or whatever is left of it after the bandits got there,
would be returned to the people of Syria and the whole world.
If necessary, of course, Russia will be able to enhance its group in the region in a matter of hours to a size required for a specific situation and to use all the options available.
We would not want to do that. Military escalation is not our choice.
Therefore, we still count on the common sense of both sides,
on the adherence by both the Syrian authorities and the opposition
to a peaceful process.
In this connection, I would like to note the position of President
Bashar al-Assad. We see his reserve, his sincere striving for peace, his
readiness for compromise and dialogue. The very fact that we withdrew
part of our military group there against the backdrop of negotiations
on the Syrian settlement that started in Geneva is an important positive
signal, and I am certain that all parties to the Syrian conflict will
duly appreciate it.
We will work and make every effort in coordination with our partners
to help establish peace in Syria, to rid the long-suffering people
of Syria of the terrorist threat and help the Syrians restore their
country.
Comrade officers,
You have proved that our army and navy are strong, modern and well
equipped and our warriors are steadfast, well-trained and hardened,
capable of resolving the most complicated large-scale tasks.
In the course of the anti-terrorist operation, you have performed more than 9,000 operational sorties. Mass strikes using high-precision Kalibr cruise missiles with a range of 1,500 km
were dealt at terrorist facilities from our naval ships located in two
seas – the Caspian and the Mediterranean, both from subsurface ships
and a submarine. We are proud of the professional actions of our navy.
Our long-range strategic aviation has also done a good job. Thus, they used new air-based X-101 missiles with a range of about 4,500 km.
And finally, over the short period in Syria, as I have said, we
deployed a modern and efficient air defence system and developed
cooperation between all the forces and resources and organised
administrative support for the group. Our military transport aviation
and Navy support vessels have done well too.
In other words, all the most important support issues,
the organisation of our group in a remote combat area were resolved
competently and in a timely manner, which again demonstrated
the enhanced quality of Russia’s Armed Forces.
I would also like to thank representatives of the military-industrial
complex: workers, engineers and designers. The latest Russian weaponry
has passed the tests, and not at shooting ranges but in real combat.
This is the best and the most serious test.
This experience will make it possible to introduce necessary changes,
to improve the efficiency and reliability of the equipment, to create
new generation weaponry, and to improve the Armed Forces and enhance
their combat capability. Life itself has shown that they are a reliable
guarantee of our country’s security.
We should bear in mind the threats that appear when we do not do
things on time; we should remember the lessons of history, including
the tragic events of the beginning of World War II and the Great
Patriotic War, the price we paid for mistakes in military construction
and planning and the shortage in new military equipment. Everything
should be done on time, while weakness, neglect and omissions are always
dangerous.
The military operation in Syria certainly required certain funds,
however the main part of the funding came from the Defence Ministry,
their resources. Some 33 billion rubles were earmarked in the Ministry’s
2015 budget for military exercises. We simply retargeted these funds
to support our group in Syria, and there is hardly a better way
of training and perfecting combat skills than under real combat
conditions. In this sense, it is better to use motor operating time
and combat stock in combat than at a testing range. You, professionals,
know this better than anyone else.
Obviously, additional funds will be required to restock our arsenals,
equipment and ammunition, including repairs of the equipment that was
used in Syria. I am sure these costs are reasonable and necessary,
because this was a chance to test everything in combat, find faults
and rectify them. These costs help enhance our country’s defence
capability and resolve strategic and current tasks to ensure Russia’s
security. We need to do it now, to avoid paying a much higher price
later.
That price is high, and I am not talking about money now. Here
in this hall are Yelena Peshkova, Valentina Cheremisina, Irina Pozynich
and Yulia Zhuravleva ~ widows of our comrade officers who died fighting
terrorists. I know that for their families and friends, the loss
of Oleg, Ivan, Alexander and Fedor is irreparable. We all take this
as our own loss. That is why I used your husbands’, fathers’ and sons’
first names. I spoke not as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief or President,
but as a grateful citizen of Russia who grieves over this loss. We will
remember their courage and chivalry; we will remember them as real men
and courageous warriors.
Comrade officers,
The large-scale operation in Syria went on for more than 5 months
in a complicated region, far from Russia, and you have done your duty
with honour by protecting the security of your country and your people
at faraway frontiers. The tasks you were set have been generally met,
troops are returning to their regular deployment locations, returning
home, to Russia.
I would like to note here, for this audience and for the entire
country: Russia’s main agenda today is that of peace. It has to do with
developing the economy in complicated conditions, with maintaining
and improving the well-being of our people. However, without ensuring our
security, without creating a battle-ready, modern and efficient Army
and Navy we would not resolve a single task. Moreover, the very
existence of a sovereign and independent Russia would not be possible
without it.
It is very symbolic that we are honouring you in the legendary St
George hall that holds the history of Russia’s military glory along with
the names of its great sons. Everything here is filled with
the victorious spirit of Russian warriors. Our officers and men have
demonstrated yet again that they are courageous, noble, strong-willed
warriors, true to their Fatherland
Thank you for your service. I thank all the participants of the military operation in Syria. Thank you.
Allow me now to move on to the presentation of state decorations.
I will not be able to present them all today. I will present them
to some of you; however, I assure you that we know how each one of you
did your duty.
Thank you.
A true statesman.
ReplyDeleteWe get a shrieking ,barking banshee who claims nobody died in Libya on her watch.