MOSCOW. June 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States has spent hundreds of millions of dollars arming the Syrian opposition, but most weapons have ended up in terrorists' hands, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Gen. Maj. Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday.
"Washington has been focused on funding and direct supplies of weapons worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the fictitious 'Syrian opposition' all this time," he said, commenting on U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis' statements on Syria.
"However, the overwhelming majority of weapons and ammunition sent by the U.S. ended up in the hands of militants from al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, Jabhat al-Nusra, and ISIL, which aimed at overthrowing the legitimate Syrian government, coinciding with Washington's policy," Konashenkov said.
Al-Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra, and ISIL are terrorist groups banned in Russia.