Russian cruise missiles aimed at Syria crashed in Iran

Kathleen Fallon, a spokeswoman for the group, says the Russian attacks, in addition to ongoing bombardments by Syrian warplanes, have made it impossible for healthcare workers to treat Syrian civilians in dire need of care.

“They have shot cruise missiles from a ship in the Caspian Sea without warning; they have come within just a few miles (kilometres) of one of our unmanned aerial vehicles”, Carter said.

The Russian intervention is supported by an intelligence sharing center set up in Baghdad to coordinate the efforts of Russia, Iraq, Iran and Syria.

Russian Federation fired cruise missiles at Syrian targets this week without giving any advanced notice, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday, describing a trend of unpredictable military action that has put the United States and its allies on edge.

Russia’s involvement had only served to make the conflict more risky, British defence minister Michael Fallon said.

A US official told ABC News that their use in Syria was probably meant to demonstrate Russia’s military capabilities.

Although justified as a fight against Isil, Russian air strikes have mostly hit the rebel groups that forced the regime to retrench its operations outside Damascus and its western stronghold.

Speaking at almost the same time, Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said, “Russia’s joining the struggle against terrorism on Syria’s territory will lead to changes in the region and the whole world”, in remarks relayed by Russia’s Tass news agency.

The Kremlin has also indicated that it might engage its troops in ground operations in Syria.

Mr Putin is said to be poised to mobilise 150,000 reservists conscripted into the Russian army earlier this week.

“As despicable as President Assad’s behaviour has been in his country, the bigger evil that we are dealing with and confronting is the challenge to all our security…”

Russia’s air strikes hit northern parts of Hama province and nearby areas in Idlib province, targeting towns close to the main north-south highway that runs through major cities in western Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“This is particularly relevant in view of the recent violations of NATO’s airspace by Russian aircraft”, Stoltenberg said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday warned Russian Federation risked losing a deal to build his country’s first nuclear power plant and its status as its main gas supplier, as the diplomatic row intensified.

But a push on Syria’s largest city would trigger another wave of refugees pouring into Europe as they try to escape the fighting, he predicted.