Russian Foreign Ministry: MV Alaed Carried Syrian Helicopters after Repairs

22.06.2012 Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that cargo ship MV Alaed was carrying three Syrian military helicopters repaired in Russia under contract signed in 2008 and air defense assets.

Information that Russia has just sold arms to Syria and it is already used in combat actions is contrary to fact, Lavrov told the Russia Today TV channel.

Earlier on, representative of Russian foreign ministry Alexander Lukashevich said that when Alaed was heading from the North Sea to Atlantic, her owner was informed about termination of insurance liability for third parties and that the ship must call at any port for examination. After that, it was decided to recall the ship back to Russia.

The Alaed issue was earlier covered by British press. Prior to that, Moscow and Washington had bitter disputes over Russia's military exports to Syria.