 In 2012, Rosoboronexport was widely reported to be Syria’s main weapons supplier, but Russia maintains that its arms deals with the Syrian government are based on longstanding contracts between the two countries.Russia holds that the weapons sold to Syria are purely defensive in nature, cannot be used against civilians, and are primarily air defense installations.The refurbishment of Russian-made helicopters, and the delivery of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles caused great international attention.