Russia beefs up air group in Syria with advanced fighters

“An attempt to storm the city has been disrupted, ” Konashenkov said, specifying that Russian Air Force used both Russia-based strategic long-rage bombers and assault Su-25 aircraft based at Khmeimim airfield in Syria to deliver 23 massive airstrikes against terrorist forces advancing on Deir ez-Zor.

The Russian government has flatly denied claims that a Russian Su-34 jet had entered Turkish airspace unauthorized, calling Ankara’s claim “pure propaganda”.

Despite tensions over a Russian warplane which violated Turkish airspace on Friday, an agreed program of observation flights by Russian surveillance aircraft will take place over Turkey this week.

Konashenkov reaffirmed that short time ago, all Russian aircrafts carried out missions in the Syrian airspace with a necessary cover from Russian and Syrian fighters and modern air defense systems including S400 missiles. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said that the footage was “irrefutable” proof that Turkish military had been shelling borderline Syrian settlements.

In response, Russia’s transport ministry said it would cut back the number of Turkish trucks allowed into Russian Federation to one quarter of the the current permitted number, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

Russian truckers have lost the right to transport cargo through Turkish territory because a prior agreement between the two counties expired on January 31. The Syrian opposition has handed over a video depicting the shelling of the Syrian territory by the Turkish armed forces.

Meanwhile, the Russian ministry presented videos allegedly showing strikes from Turkish border posts against populated areas in Syria.

Rural towns in a province traditionally seen as a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad have been relatively safe until a military offensive over the last two months, including 300 air raids.