Alwaght- The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday the Russian warplanes conducted Tuesday night 206 sorties against sites of terrorist organizations in Syria.
According to military sources, the Russian airstrikes were carried out all over Syria in coordination with the country’s armed forces. In a related development, Syrian armed forces on Wednesday killed more terrorists in accurate operations against their hideouts and dens in the southern part of the country, and established control over more areas in the coastal region.
Meanwhile, Russia has deployed its fleet of strategic bombers to double the volume of airstrikes on ISIS terrorists in Syria, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has announced. Vladimir Putin has ordered a cruiser to coordinate operations with French naval forces in the Mediterranean.
“We are conducting a mass airstrike campaign against Islamic State targets in Syria. We have now doubled the number of sorties, which is allowing us to conduct operations throughout the length and breadth of the country,” Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during a recent Security Council meeting in Moscow chaired by the Russian president.
Shoigu said that Russia’s Tu-95, Tu-22 and Tu-160 strategic bombers have been brought into the operation, while the Air Force command added that the strike group has been bolstered with 37 new planes, including Su-34 bombers and Su-27 fighter jets.
The Russian president has issued orders for Russia’s Moskva cruiser, covering the Russian base in Latakia from the Mediterranean Sea, to work together with a French naval group led by flagship Charles De Gaulle, a 26 fighter-jet aircraft carrier, which is departing for Syria this week.
“The French naval group, led by the air carrier, will soon reach your area of operations. We need to establish direct contact with it, and treat it as an ally,” the Russian president said. “We need to develop of a joint action plan for both sea and air operations.”
The Kremlin said that the parameters for a joint mission had been agreed upon by Putin and French President Francois Hollande, following a personal phone call.
Russia launched its first airstrikes against the Takfiri terrorists in Syria on September 30 at the request of the Damascus government. Moscow says its air raids are meant to weaken ISIS and other terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in Syria.