Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced that Russia has deployed its fleet of strategic long range bombers to double the volume of airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria.
“We are conducting a mass airstrike campaign against Islamic State targets in Syria. We have now doubled the number of sorties, which is allowing us to conduct operations throughout the length and breadth of the country,” the defense minister said.
The head of the General Staff reported that the new phase of the anti-ISIS campaign will involve 25 long-range bombers that will fly out of airfields in Russia.
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RT reports: The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video of its fleet of strategic bombers conducting their first airstrikes against Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Syria on Tuesday.
Groups of Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear), Tu-22 (Blinder) and Tu-160 (Blackjack) long-range bombers took off from Russian airfields and returned to base after striking the jihadists in Syria.
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the involvement of its fleet of 25 strategic bombers will allow Moscow to double the number of airstrikes in the country.
Russia has been conducting dozens of sorties against Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) and other terrorist targets in Syria on a daily basis since September 30 after an official request by President Bashar Assad.
Up to now, sorties were carried out exclusively by Sukhoi warplanes, including the cutting-edge Su-34 as well as the tried-and-tested Su-25 and Su-24M aircraft.
The increased airstrikes in Syria comes just days after the deadly Paris attacks on Friday and official confirmation that the crash of the Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula was caused by a terrorist bomb attack.
‘Retribution is inevitable’: Putin vowed to find & punish culprits behind #SinaiCrash https://t.co/thXpqDKvhx pic.twitter.com/c68mZuzXCo
— RT (@RT_com) November 17, 2015
Niamh Harris
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