Warplanes to escort all Russian non-fighter aircraft in Syria

Following the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish jets, the Russian general staff announced Tuesday a series of steps by its forces in areas of Syria close to Turkey. The missile cruiser Moskva, one of the biggest warships in the world, was ordered to move closer to the Syrian coast near Latakia in order to provide defense for all of the Russian flights in the area.
DEBKAfile military sources: The Moskva serves as a missile base. It is armed with Russia's advanced S-300 ground-to-air missiles. The general staff also announced that all flights by Russian non-fighter aircraft, including bombers, in Syrian airspace will be accompanied by Russian warplanes from now on.