Russia Doubles Aircraft Fleet Involved in Syrian Operation

Russian aviation group in Syria has doubled aircraft fleet to 69 aircraft involved in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIL).

"In accordance with your instructions, the [Russian] Armed Forces are carrying out a retaliation operation to destroy the leaders of terrorist organizations and their supporters, disorganize their control and logistics systems, as well as destroy ISIL military and oil and gas infrastructure," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying in a report to President Vladimir Putin by Sputnik news daily Thursday.

He added that "in this regard, the aviation group has been doubled and increased to include 69 aircraft."

According to Shoigu, ten ships are involved in Russia's military operations in Syria, six of them are in the Mediterranean Sea.

"In the past four days, Russia's strategic and tactical aviation carried out 522 combat sorties, a total of 101 air-and sea-based cruise missiles were launched, some 1,400 tonnes of bombs of various types were dropped."

He added that during the mission the operational range of Tu-160 strategic bombers from the Mediterranean was over 13,000 km.

"A total of 826 enemy targets were destroyed," Shoigu added.

"Each day, 143 sorties are carried out. The sea fraction includes ten ships, six of which are in the Mediterranean Sea," the minister said.