Putin says Russian Federation is supporting Free Syrian Army in fight against IS

Vladimir Putin has vowed Russia’s military will “immediately destroy” any target threatening them in Syria, representing a strong warning to Turkey following its shooting down of a Russian warplane at the Syrian border. Peskov’s statement could be an attempt to assuage Assad, who calls the FSA and other moderate opposition groups “terrorists”. The Russian president stressed that his nation’s presence there is a practical measure to prevent terrorism from coming home to Russia.

In a separate development in Syria, at least 22 people are reported to have died in a triple truck bomb attack in a Kurdish-controlled town in northern Syria.

“We have provided air support for them as well as the Syrian army and also supplied them with weapons, ammunition and supplies”, Putin said. The secretary of state met with Lavrov in Sochi in May, during which the Russian foreign minister presented Kerry with a Victory Day t-shirt and baskets of potatoes and tomatoes. The month before he said that some terrorist targets which the Free Syrian Army recognized were impacted by the Russian air force.

“I order you to act as tough as possible”, he told a defence meeting.

Shoigu, during his follow-on address, held firm to the anti-Islamic State narrative, claiming that the Russian air group have flown about 4,000 sorties in 10 weeks of operations, resulting in the destruction of over 8,000 pieces of military infrastructure belonging to terrorists in Syria.

In a speech to his top military commanders, Putin said the Russian military has provided weapons, supplies and air support to the Western-backed opposition group.

Turkey’s foreign minister says his country is refraining from responding to Russian efforts to hit back at Turkey over its downing of a Russian jet, but says the country’s patience is not without limits.

The talks will also cover differences in the parallel Russian and USA approaches to the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria.

“The combined use of force from the Aerospace Forces and the Navy, the use of the newest precise systems of weaponry has allowed us to deliver serious damage to the infrastructure of terrorists, and has seriously changed the situation in Syria”, Putin reportedly said.

Russia’s military will have five new atomic regiments equipped with modern missile complexes Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the same assembly.

“Our servicemen in Syria first of all defend their country”.

Since Russia’s air campaign began on September 30, Russia has also been using an airbase in Latakia, in the northwest, to strike targets in northern Syria.