Russia air offensive aids Syrian assault

Russian warships in the Caspian Sea yesterday fired cruise missiles as Syrian government troops launched a ground offensive in central Syria, in the first major combined air-and-ground assault since Moscow began its military campaign in the country last week.

The missiles, launched from a Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea, travelled 1,400km over “unpopulated areas” to target militants, according to a Russian officer.

The latest developments, exactly a week after Russia began launching air strikes in Syria, add a new layer to the fray in the complex war that has torn the Middle East country apart since 2011.