Russian cruise missile strikes fired without advanced notice

Russian cruise missiles that were fired from warships in the Caspian sea and were meant to hit Syrian targets crashed in Iran, instead, a US official tells NPR’s Tom Bowman.

Still, the US and Russian Federation have been talking over secure video conference channels according to Reuters, trying to work out technical details on how to keep aircraft safe as they fly on uncoordinated missions.

The State Department spokesman said he could not confirm these reports.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also refutes U.S. media reports of an alleged incident involving cruise missiles which were fired at IS positions in Syria on October 7, stating that all missiles hit their designated targets, Irna reported.

The Russian defence ministry denied any of the missiles had fallen short of their targets after reports of crashes first emerged on USA television. On Wednesday, it launched a naval bombardment of ISIS targets in Syria, a senior Russian official said, ramping up its newly muscular presence in the Middle East. Activists in Raqqa said at least one of the cruise missiles landed in an open area in the nearby town of Tabqa, causing a huge explosion.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the Syrian conflict during a phone call on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Human rights watchdogs have reported a massive increase in civilian deaths since Russian Federation began its air campaign days ago in the north of Syria – a rebel stronghold where Islamic State is not based.

NATO’s secretary general warned Thursday of a “troubling escalation” in Russian military activities in Syria, saying the alliance stands firmly behind member Turkey even as Moscow pours more air and sea attacks into the fight.

Wednesday also appeared to mark new and closer military cooperation between Russian Federation and the embattled Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The violent civil war in Syria, which began as part of the Arab Spring in 2011, has been constantly developing over the past four years.

Moscow has recently amplified its assistance to the Syrian military forces, and Russian officials promised more of such aid, including specialists, to Damascus.

Israeli and Russian military officials have met in Tel Aviv to sort out a mechanism that would prevent accidents between their forces as Russia continues its operations in Syria, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has said.

One of the officials said there might be casualties, although another said they don’t know yet if there are any casualties.

Washington is not prepared to cooperate with Russia’s strategy that is “tragically flawed,” he said.

Since September 30, Russia’s air force has been conducting aerial strikes throughout Syria on targets that Moscow says are held by ISIS and “other terrorists”.

Carter said he wants the USA and Russian Federation to coordinate their operations in the region only to avoid possible collisions in Syria’s airspace.

The group, which believes Saturday’s airstrike in Kunduz may have been a war crime, appealed to the USA, Afghanistan and other countries to mobilize a little-known commission to look into the tragedy.

Russia has said it is targeting ISIS, al-Nusra Front and “other terrorist groups” as recognized by the United Nations Security Council or Russian law.