Turkey for the first time tested the Sinop S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems purchased from Russia at the exercise in the north of the country, a military-diplomatic source reports TASS on Friday.
"Three S-400 SAM systems were launched at the exercise. All of them successfully hit the designated targets," he specified.
Rosoboronexport (part of Rostekh) did not comment on this information.
On October 14, the Department of oceanography of the Turkish Navy reported about intentions of Ankara to hold shooting exercises during the period from October 16 till October 17. On Friday, Reuters agency reported that rocket launches were carried out during these exercises.
Russia and Turkey signed a contract in 2017 for the supply of S-400 systems by Moscow to Ankara. Turkey was the first NATO country to acquire these systems from Russia. The decision of Ankara caused a sharply negative reaction from the US and the alliance as a whole. The United States doesn't stop trying to get Turkey to abandon Russian SAMs. Washington has excluded Ankara from the US F-35 production program. Besides, the US threatens Turkey with sanctions for purchasing S-400, but is not in a hurry to take those steps, as it fears further aggravation of relations with an important NATO ally. Ankara warns that it will not leave such restrictions unanswered.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: EPA / MAXIM SHIPENKOV / TASS