S-400 systems have been activated in Russia’s northwest to protect air borders, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Western Defense District’s press service said Thursday.

Russia’s S-400 Triumf missile defense systems have been activated in the country’s northwest to protect air borders, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Western Defense District’s press service said Thursday.

“In bringing the military activation of the S-400 systems online, there is a need to check their integration into the existing system of aerospace defense in the Western Military District in the northwest and conduct a range of specialized training,” Western Defense District press spokesman Col. Igor Muginov said.

The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) is Russia's next-generation air defense system, carrying three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at short-to-extremely long range.

In late November, the S-400 systems were deployed at the Hmeimim airbase near the Syrian port city of Latakia to protect anti-terror operations by Russia’s Aerospace Forces. The decision was made one day after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 aircraft.