The massive airstrikes, which were launched earlier this week for the first time, and the efforts needed to carry them out point to prime combat readiness, superb military training and efficient management of the Russian military.
This week, Russia carried out complex operations using different types of military hardware, which included strategic bombers and newest cruise missiles.
Russia's long- and medium range aircraft sent on an anti-ISIL mission "covered a distance of over 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) managing to refuel midair in complex nighttime conditions," military expert Igor Korotchenko told RIA Novosti.
#SYRIA #Shoigu: Range of Tu-160’s flights during the task performance from the water zone of the Mediterranean Sea constituted over 13 000km
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 20 ноября 2015
Russia launched simultaneous precision strikes with sea- and airborne cruise missiles against terrorist targets, he added.
"All these [military activities] point to how significantly more efficient the management system of the Armed Forces has become in recent years. They also reveal the high level of combat readiness and military training," Korotchenko asserted.
'For Paris' and 'For our people'
Russian aircraft made 522 sorties launching 101 air- and seaborne cruise missiles against enemy targets and dropping 1,400 bombs in the first four days of the second phase of the campaign in Syria. As many as 826 ISIL targets were destroyed.
Interesting fact: Russian pilots and technical experts at the airbase in Latakia sent a message to militants via "priority airmail," the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Twitter. The words 'For Paris' (За Париж) and 'For our people' (За наших) can be seen inscribed on bombs which were later dropped on ISIL targets.
#SYRIA For our people! For Paris! Pilots and technicians of #Hmeymim airbase sent a message to terrorists by airmail pic.twitter.com/8jviPBsHph
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 20 ноября 2015
Russia's counterterrorism efforts are paying off.
The operation, which was launched on September 30 following a formal request from Damascus, has undermined ISIL infrastructure preventing the terrorist group from selling oil on the black market. Smuggling crude from oilfields in Iraq and Syria has been one of the major sources of revenue for the group.
#SYRIA #Shoigu: 60,000 tons of oil were prevented from delivering to black market, terrorists lost opportunity to receive $1,5 mln daily
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 20 ноября 2015
#SYRIA #Shoigu: Efforts are concentrated at erosion of #ISIS economy. Aviation destroyed 15 oil depots and refueling plants, 525 tankers
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 20 ноября 2015
Unable to deliver 60,000 tons of oil daily, ISIL is losing some $1.5 million per day, according to estimates, provided by Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian forces destroyed 15 oil storage and refining facilities, as well as 525 tankers.
