Russia open to Turkey selling S-400 air defence systems to UAE, sources say

Russia open to Turkey selling S-400 air defence systems to UAE, sources say Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Fri, 07/10/2026 - 16:13 Sources say negotiations have been under way for months, but Moscow’s final approval is still required A Russian military cargo plane unloading an S-400 missile defence system at the Murted military airbase, northwest of Ankara, in August 2019 (AFP) Off The Russian government views the potential sale of S-400 air defence systems currently operated by Turkey to the United Arab Emirates in a “positive light”, multiple sources familiar with the issue told Middle East Eye, while cautioning that negotiations have yet to be completed. The Russian S-400 systems, purchased by Turkey in 2019, have been a major headache for Ankara. The acquisition led to Turkey’s removal from the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet programme and triggered a series of US sanctions on Turkey’s defence industry.