![Putin: "Russian Military Will Destroy Any Threats"](/sites/default/files/Putin%20in%20Syria%20Nathan_0.jpg "Putin: "Russian Military Will Destroy Any Threats"")
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Putin: "Russian Military Will Destroy Any Threats"
Vladimir Putin has warned that the Russian military will "immediately destroy" any targets threatening its forces in Syria.
At a meeting with top brass, the president said the Russian military base in Syria has been beefed up with additional aircraft and air defence weapons.
The build-up followed the downing of a Russian warplane by a Turkish fighter jet at the Syrian border last month.
Without naming Turkey, Mr Putin warned anyone against "further provocations", saying the military will respond in "the toughest way".
Mr Putin said the mission in Syria is aimed at protecting Russia from extremists based there.
He said the extremists pose a "clear threat" to Russia, and fending off that threat is the main goal of the air campaign Moscow launched on September 30.
Defence minister Sergei Shoigu said Russian warplanes have flown 4,000 combat sorties in Syria since the launch of air strikes, destroying 8,000 "terrorist" targets.
He added that Russia helped restore a tank repair factory in the Syrian province of Homs, which he said is now working at full scale.
Mr Putin said the Russian military action had helped change the situation in Syria, supporting the Syrian army offensive, and helping some units of the opposition Free Syrian Army to fight "terrorists", providing air cover and supplying them with weapons.
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