Russia claims 600 rebels killed in strike
Watch: The Russian Ministry of Defense has released a video of what it says is a cruise missile strike that targeted seven areas in Syria.
In the wake of the Paris attacks, Russian strikes in Syria have grown in intensity and scope, with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu saying on Friday that more than 600 rebels had been eliminated as a result of a cruise missile strike targeting Syria's Deir ez-Zour province.
The date of the strike could not be independently confirmed, but a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the missiles were fired from the Caspian Sea.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin Friday that Russian warplanes had destroyed 15 oil facilities in Syria and 525 trucks carrying oil in bombing this week. He says this deprived IS of $1.5 million in daily income from oil sales.
According to Shoigu, Russian warplanes flew 522 sorties and destroyed over 800 targets in the last four days. Since the onset of the operation Russian warplanes have launched 101 cruise missiles, dropped 1400 tons of different bombs .
Russia has used ship based cruise missiles to attack targets in Syria in the past, and according to Russian news outlet "Sputnik," On October 7, four Buyan-M class warships of Russia's Caspian Fleet launched a barrage of 26 cruise missiles which hit all intended ISIL targets located more than 930 miles away. Each Buyan-class corvette carries eight Kalibr cruise missiles."
Russian Defense Minister Shoigu had said the the cruise missiles hit seven targets in Syria and added that Russia doubled the number of aircraft taking part in its Syria campaign to 69 planes.
He said the Russian military air fleet in Syria was reinforced by 8 Su-34 bombers and a unit of Sy-27SM3 jet fighters, according to the report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was also quoted as saying that, "Moscow's military campaign in Syria to date has not achieved enough and a next phase is needed," by Russian media outlets on Friday.
"Our objectives are being fulfilled, and fulfilled well," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Putin as saying during a video conference with military officials.
"But for now that is not enough to cleanse Syria of rebels and terrorists and to protect Russians from possible terrorist attacks," he said.
"We face a lot of work and I hope that the next phases will be conducted at the same high level, as professionally, and will produce the result we expect."
Russian had also requested on Friday, to divert civilian flights in some areas so that Moscow could conduct a naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Lebanese transport minister.
"The Russians have asked the Directorate of Civil Aviation authority in Lebanon to divert the routes of planes in a specific area over the international waters where they are planning to conduct the exercise," Ghazi Zeaiter said.
"This (disruption would have been) for three days but we refused because it is against our interests," he added.
Flight paths from Lebanon are limited because the national carrier does not fly over Israel and other airlines have also avoided flying over neighbouring Syria, where Russia and others are conducting air strikes against rebel groups.
In a separate statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry said that its head Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had a phone talk and discussed the need for joint efforts to combat Islamic State In Syria and the need for talks between Damascus and opposition
