MOSCOW — A ship carrying Russian helicopters to Syria, which turned back after its insurance was cut, is expected to resume its journey accompanied by at least one other vessel, Interfax reported Sunday, citing a military source. The report is likely to reignite international criticism of Russia's arms deliveries to Syria which US officials have called reprehensible and the Arab League has said should be stopped. “A military-diplomatic source in Moscow told Interfax that (the ship) will go from Murmansk to Syria. According to his information the ship should travel under escort,” the news agency reported. The ship Alaed, which entered the Russian port of Murmansk Sunday to change its flag to the Russian Standard, will not be accompanied by military vessels, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The report did not say how the ship had resolved its insurance problems or what difference the flag change would make. Russia acknowledged on Thursday it was trying to send repaired combat helicopters - not new equipment - to Syria. Moscow is one of Assad's main arms suppliers and has shielded its long-standing ally President Bashar Al-Assad from tougher UN sanctions over his crackdown on a 16-month revolt. News of the resumption of the delivery came as Turkey accused Syria on Sunday of shooting down a military plane in international airspace without warning. Russia has sold Syria air defense systems, but Damascus has said the jet was downed by anti-aircraft fire, not missiles. Moscow has said the shipment was unrelated to the violence inside Syria, something US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed on June 13 as “patently untrue”. There is no UN arms embargo on Syria. Russia has said it is fulfilling old contracts signed before the Syrian violence began and sending defensive weapons that can only be used to protect the country from outside aggression. — Reuters
