The first Russian naval bombing was heavily addressed against eleven goals. Other units are expected to increase the power and ability to attack in depth.
The 26 cruise missiles were launched by the Dagestan, “Gepard” class launcher frigate and class corvettes Buyan, Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich e Veliky Ustyug. This was confirmed by the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, echoing an official press release.
Shoigu confirmed that the missiles were launched from the Caspian Sea and reached their targets after traveling 1.500 kilometers over western Iran and northern Iraq.
Yesterday was probably the busiest day for the "Russian Aerospace Force Air Group in Syria". Attacks coordinated with Damascus were launched in the cities of Hama and Idlib, but the entire western Syria was hit by massive bombing.
Despite this, for the United States the Russians are doing nothing but weakening the factions hostile to Assad: among these there is also the Islamic State, but it is not a priority. Theses obviously denied by the Kremlin, which said it was ready to work with the coalition member countries to coordinate all the strike in Syria. Despite the cautious optimism of the past few hours, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, calling the Russian air campaign a "huge mistake", confirmed that the US is not yet ready to work with Moscow for operations in Syria.
During yesterday's raids, rebel strongholds on the al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham fronts were also hit. The Syrian ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, joined by the Sputnik agency, added.
"We will hit every terrorist organization recognized by the UN Security Council. Moscow has destroyed the 40% of the Islamic state's infrastructure. The terrorists are retreating towards the border with Turkey." Even this thesis, however, has been denied. 40%? Let's do the 3% - commented Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu - the Islamic State has not suffered significant losses. Of the 57 air strikes in the last hours, 55 were targeted against moderate factions and only two against ISIS.
Even the US embassy in Syria has questioned Russia's goals. The latest US assessment indicates that Moscow is fortifying positions in western Syria where the CIA-supported anti-regime forces are present. A move that shows, according to the Americans, how Russia is stepping up its ground operations to attack these forces rather than ISIS elements.
Moscow obviously denies any kind of terrestrial action.
(photo: MoD Russian Federation)
