Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced strikes on Syria by the U.S., France and the U.K. as an “act of aggression” but made no mention of possible retaliation for the highly anticipated attack on his Middle Eastern ally, easing for the moment fears of a wider conflict.
The dozens of missiles and bombs fired at a handful of sites early Saturday didn’t enter airspace guarded by advanced systems above Russian bases near the coast, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. There were no casualties, either Syrian or Russian, or serious damage inflicted, the ministry said.
Putin’s top military commander last month warned that Russian forces would shoot down any missiles and their launchers that threaten its personnel, fueling fears a major U.S. barrage could escalate. But the strikes, though larger than those President Donald Trump ordered a year ago, were limited to a few targets linked to Syria’s chemical-weapons program, according to U.S. officials.
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