The supplies of S-400 missile system to Turkey will begin in June and there is 99% readiness for that, CEO of Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev told the Army-2019 International Military-Technical Forum on Wednesday.

"The readiness to supply the first batch of the S-400 is 99%," Mikheyev said, noting that logistic issues were being solved.

According to Rosoboronexport’s CEO, the contract would be fulfilled within a record timeframe.

The first reports that Russia and Turkey were in talks on the S-400 supplies emerged in November 2016. Moscow confirmed that the contract had been signed in September 2017. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said back then that the deployment of S-400 systems would begin in October 2019. According to Sergei Chemezov, the director general of Russia’s Rostec state corporation, the contract’s price tag is $2.5 bln. Turkey is the first NATO member state to buy these missile systems from Russia. The US has been vigorously trying to stonewall the S-400 deal. Earlier Washington warned Ankara that should the deal with Russia be implemented, the US would not supply its F-35 fighter-bombers to Turkey.