Russia will complete the first stage of delivering an S-400 surface-to-air missile system to Turkey this week, head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said on Tuesday, according to the TASS news agency.
“We are completing the first stage of the deliveries this week,” the defense official said.
The first reports on talks between Russia and Turkey on the delivery of the S-400 air defense missile system emerged in November 2016. Russia confirmed in September 2017 that the relevant contract worth $2.5 billion had been signed. Under the contract, Ankara will get a regiment set of S-400 air defense missiles (two battalions). The deal also envisages partial transfer of production technology to the Turkish side.
Turkey is the only NATO member to purchase such an air-defense system from Russia. The deliveries of the S-400s to Turkey began on July 12, 2019.
The United States and NATO have been making attempts to prevent Turkey from purchasing Russia’s S-400s. Washington has warned on many occasions that it may impose sanctions on Turkey if Ankara presses ahead with the S-400 deal.