Russia Conducts First Airstrike in Syria after Russian Parliament Gives Putin Green Light

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Russia Conducts First Airstrike in Syria after Russian Parliament Gives Putin Green Light

US Official: Russia Conducts First Airstrike in Syria

Russia has conducted its first airstrike in Syria, near the city of Homs, a senior US official told CNN on Wednesday.

The Russians told the United States that it should not fly US warplanes in Syria, but gave no geographical information about where Russia planned to strike. The senior official said U.S. missions are continuing as normal.

Earlier Wednesday, the upper house of the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin approval to use the air force in Syria, according to state media.

"The Federation Council unanimously supported the President's request -- 162 votes in favor of granting permission," Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergey Ivanov said, according to ITAR-Tass.

After several days of familiarization flights, and the collection of potential targeting information by drones, the Russian air force was known to be ready.

Four Russian Su-34 Fullback fighter jets are now at the Latakia air base in Syria, and more than 600 Russian troops are in place, CNN said.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters Tuesday that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter directed his staff to "open lines of communication with Russia on de-confliction."

The timing of these discussions is to be worked out in the coming days. The purpose of the discussions is "to ensure the safety of coalition air crews," he said.

Cook added that the two nations have common ground when it comes to fighting ISIL with Carter making clear that "the goal should be to take the fight to ISIL and not to defend the Assad regime."


Source: Websites	30-09-2015 - 16:25 Last updated 30-09-2015 - 16:25

Russian Parliament Gives Putin Green Light to Use Force abroad

Local Editor

Russia military

The upper house of Russian parliament agreed on Wednesday to give President Vladimir Putin the green light to deploy troops abroad and use air force outside the country.

Putin submitted to the Federation Council a proposal to deploy "a contingent of troops" abroad, the Kremlin said in a statement, without specifying the region.

Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko said earlier Wednesday that senators had begun debating the issue behind closed doors. She did not provide further details.

Putin had requested similar permission from the Federation Council to deploy military forces abroad ahead of the annexation of Crimea in March 2014.

On Monday Putin called for a broad UN-backed coalition to fight terrorists of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri group as he addressed the UN General Assembly for the first time in a decade.

The Russian president also said he had not ruled out air strikes on ISIL.

Russia's Syria buildup is Moscow's first military engagement in a distant theatre of war since the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979.