Sergey Shoygu

Turkish defense minister discussed regional issues with his Russian counterpart over the phone, an official statement from Russia said on Jan. 20.

Turkey's Hulusi Akar spoke to Russia's Sergey Shoygu, according to Russia's National Defense Ministry.

The officials discussed recent developments in the region and North Africa.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu also revealed how the whole system works, using the armed conflict in Yugoslavia as an example.

According to Minister Vulin, while President Aleksandar Vucic is in charge, Serbia will not join NATO or any other military alliance.

"I assure you that we will take timely measures, which do not have to be symmetrical with the steps of NATO," Shoigu said, TASS is reporting.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Syria on March 19 where he handed a message from President Vladimir Putin to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, the defense ministry said.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar (L) met his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu in Ankara on Feb. 11.

Russia remains a strategic partner of Greece, according to Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, who met on Monday in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

"The Syrian Armed Forces will be supplied with the advanced S-300 air defense missile system within two weeks," Shoigu said, according to Sputnik, which reported that this would be "an adequate response to Israel's role in the downing of the Russian Il-20 plane last week."

AFP - Russia will flex its military muscles and hold the biggest war games since the Cold War era next month, including almost 300,000 troops and 1,000 aircraft, the defence ministry said Tuesday, leading NATO to warn of a "more assertive Russia".

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's military forces in the country's east were put on high alert Monday ahead of massive war games that also involve China and Mongolia, the largest show of power in nearly 40 years, the Russian defense minister said.