Moscow Refutes US Claims on Russian Missiles Targeting ISIL Landed in Iran

Local Editor

CNN anchor explaining claims on Russian missiles

Russia's Defense Ministry refuted on Friday a US media report of an alleged incident involving cruise missiles which were fired at positions of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri group in Syria on October 7.

The Russian military stressed that all missiles hit their designated targets, challenging the CNN news network to prove its allegations.

"No matter how unpleasant and unexpected for our colleagues in the Pentagon and Langley was yesterday's high-precision strike on ISIL infrastructure in Syria, the fact remains that all missiles launched from our ships have found their targets," ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

The American broadcaster cited two unnamed US officials, who said that four Russian missiles had crashed somewhere in Iran after being launched from vessels in the Caspian Sea. The report suggested that “some buildings were damaged and civilians may have been hurt.”

This triggered a quick reaction from the Russian Defense Ministry, with Konashenkov saying that all the missiles had hit their targets on Wednesday.

"Unlike CNN, we don’t distribute information citing anonymous sources, but show the very missile launches and the way they hit their targets almost in real time,” Konashenkov said.

The spokesman pointed out that the strike targets are being photographed before and after being hit, while Russian drones are monitoring the situation from Syrian skies 24/7.

The Russian Defense Ministry has posted a number of videos to prove the accuracy of its targeting systems.