© Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti
Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria.
Russian bombers and assault planes have attacked 49 terrorist targets, making a total of 33 sorties over the last 24 hours. All the planes have successfully returned to the Khmeimim air base in Latakia, Russia's Defense Ministry reports. The airstrikes hit targets in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Idlib and Latakia.
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Pinpoint airstrikes by the Russian operational air force in Damascus province have resulted in fundamental changes of the operative situation in the region. The groups of Islamic State militants are suffering a dire shortage of munitions and are abandoning their positions en masse," Konashenkov said.
Russian aircraft bombed two command headquarters, three arms depots, two underground bunkers, 32 firing positions in mountainous areas, nine fortified battlefield positions and a workshop producing missile launchers and rockets for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
UAV air reconnaissance conducted over the Idlib province revealed a command post of Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda's branch in Syria. A Sukhoi Su-24M bomber was dispatched to the area, eliminating the installation and two trucks with air-defense systems mounted on them, Konashenkov said.
Comment: The U.S. and NATO get all up in arms about Russia violating Turkey's airspace (Turkey constantly violates Armenian airspace, but no mention of that in the MSM), despite the relatively benign nature of those violations, the Russian apologies, and the Turkish acceptance of said apologies. Yet what does the U.S. do? Blatantly violate Syrian airspace. And what do they do while there? Bomb civilian infrastructure. Yep. Good ol' freedom and democracy at work!