Russia deploys missile system near Afghan border

KABUL border, the Defence Ministry in Moscow says.

Located in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan near the Afghan border, the military base is a bulwark against militant threats and drug trafficking.

According to the Moscow Times, the Russian military has dispatched a battalion of 30 launchers and other vehicles to the base to ward off possible militant attacks.

The S-300 missile system deployment seeks to provide air defence capabilities to the Central Asian region.

“This is the first [S-300] missile system that will be on the border with Afghanistan, where international coalition forces are active,” a military official was quoted as saying.

A military channel also showed footage of the S-300 being loaded and railed to Tajikistan.

Russia has stepped up shipments of S-300 and S-400 missile systems to different countries, including China, Iran, Egypt, Turkey and Syria.

PAN Monitor/mud