Russia claims its ally Syria shot down 71 of the 103 missiles launched by the US, Britain and France

Syria was able to down most of the missiles launched by U.S, UK and France, Russian Defense Ministry revealed on Saturday.

The ministry said that the missiles were downed by the Arab Republic’s air defenses as they approached their targets.

“The Syrian air defense system has been conducting an anti-air fight,” the ministry added.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Syria repelled the Western attack by air defense complexes made in the USSR over 30 years ago.

“Syrian means of air defense: S-125, S-200 air defense systems, Buk and Kvadrat were used in the repelling the missile strike.”

According to the Russian military, the massive missile strike on objects of military and civilian infrastructure was conducted by US warships jointly with the UK and French air forces at 3:42-5:10 Moscow time.

A total of 100 cruise and air-to-surface missiles were launched at targets in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, noting that two US warships carried out the attack from the Red Sea, as well as tactical aviation over the Mediterranean Sea and B-1B bombers from al-Tanf area.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has slammed the Western states’ move, saying that the strike “has been launched at the capital of a sovereign state that has been fighting for survival for years amid terrorist aggression.”

Earlier in the day, the United States, the United Kingdom and France launched missile strikes on a number of targets in Syria in response to an alleged chemical attack in the Damascus’ suburb of Douma, Eastern Ghouta.

The countries blamed on Damascus despite the launch of a probe into the incident.

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that it had proof that the “chemical attack” in Douma had been a provocation and had been staged by Western-backed NGOs, including the White Helmets.