The Russian Defense Ministry stated that most missiles launched by the Western states on Syria had been downed by the Arab Republic's air defenses while approaching their targets.
"The Syrian air defense system has been conducting an anti-air fight," the ministry added.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Syria repelled the Western attack with air defense systems made in the USSR over 30 years ago.
"Syria's means of air defense: S-125, S-200 air defense systems, [as well as] Buk and Kvadrat units were used in the repelling the missile strike."
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Later in the day, the Russian General Staff issued a statement, saying that a total of 71 cruise missiles out of 103 had been intercepted by Syria, adding that no government military airfrield had been damaged as a result of the attack.
"A few years ago, we refused to supply S-300 air defense systems to Syria due to the request of some of our Western partners. Taking into account what happened, we consider it possible to return to this issue. And not only with regard to Syria, but with regard to other states," the General Staff stated.
Syrian air defense forces have intercepted all 12 cruise missiles, which had been used to attack the Dumeir military airfield, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
"Over the past 1.5 years, Russia has fully restored the air defense system of Syria and continues to improve it."
Russian Air Defenses Were Not Used to Repel Missile Strike
Russia's air defenses haven't been used to repell the missile strike on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, the military said.
"None of the cruise missiles launched by the US and its allies entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian air defenses, covering objects in Tartus [naval facility] and Hmeymim [airbase located in Latakia province]," the Russian Defense Ministry explained.
"Russian air defense systems at the Hmeymim and Tartus bases have timely found and controlled all the missile launches from naval and air vehicles of the US and Britain," the Russian General Staff stated, adding that it hadn't recorded French aviation's participation in the attack.
A total of 100 cruise and air-to-surface missiles were launched at targets in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, noting that two US warships carried out the attack from the Red Sea, as well as tactical aviation over the Mediterranean Sea and B-1B bombers from al-Tanf area.
West Attacked Syria on Day When OPCW Experts Were Set to Start Probing Alleged Chemical Attack
When commenting on West's so-called response to an alleged chemical attack in Douma which it blames on Damascus, the Russian General Staff has emphasized that chemical weapons were not produced in Syria.
"We believe that this strike is not a response to an alleged chemical attack, but a reaction to the success of the Syrian armed forces in the liberation of its territory from international terrorism."
"The strike was carried out exactly on the day, when the OPCW special mission was set to start its work in Damascus to probe the incident in the city of Douma, where chemical weapons had allegedly been used," the Russian military emphasized.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has also slammed the Western states' move, saying that the strike "has been launched at the capital of a sovereign state that has been fighting for survival for years amid terrorist aggression."
Earlier in the day, the United States, the United Kingdom and France launched missile strikes on a number of targets in Syria in response to an alleged chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, which has been blamed on Damascus despite the launch of a probe into the incident. On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that it had proof that the "chemical attack" in Douma had been a provocation and had been staged by Western-backed NGOs, including the White Helmets.
READ MORE: We Have Evidence of UK's Role in Staging Douma Provocation — Russian MoD
While Pentagon chief James Mattis said that US airstrikes on Syria were a "onetime shot," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford told reporters that Washington had no more attacks planned at the moment.
When commenting on the possibility of a US missile strike on Syria after allegations accusing Damascus of a chemical attack in Douma, which has yet to be probed by international experts, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that Moscow would respond if its troops in Syria were threatened.
Russia's military bases in Syria's Latakia — the Hmeymim airbase and the Tartus naval facility — have been secured by S-400 and S-300 air defense systems, as well as a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the S-400 and Pantsir systems provide air cover to the Russian aviation groupat Hmeymim, while the S-300s protect Russia's naval facility.
