Anti-terrorist operations in Syria benefited Russian troops, defense industry: Putin

Moscow, June 16: Russian armed forces and defense industry have benefited from the anti-terrorist operations in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"The experience of deploying our troops and newest weapons in combat conditions is absolutely priceless," Xinhua quoted Putin as saying. He said the Russian armed forces have acquired a "different quality" and some recently created units operated very effectively.

The use of the newest weapons allowed Russia to understand how they performed in combat conditions and representatives of the defence industry went to Syria to see it with their own eyes to make necessary adjustments, Putin said.

Russia started to participate in the anti-terrorist operations in Syria in September 2015. It has now withdrawn the majority of its troops from the war-torn country.

Putin also said Russia's military industrial complex had benefited greatly from testing its latest weapons in Syria.

IANS