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Four Russian cruise missiles launched from the Caspian Sea fell short of their Syrian targets and landed in a rural part of Iran, U.S. officials said Thursday.
The errant missiles were part of a volley of 26 long range cruise missiles that Russians fired from ships in the Caspian Sea a day earlier, according to officials who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss intelligence matters.
The Russians fired Kalibir cruise missiles, which had not yet been used in combat conditions. The flight path took the missiles over Iran and Iraq. One U.S. official said they had not been able to detect any casualties or damage from the strikes, suggesting they may have fallen harmlessly in a rural part of Iran.
The development comes amid growing concerns about Russian actions in the region. The Russians have launched airstrikes in Syria, saying they are attacking terrorists. Washington and its allies have accused Russia of trying to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned Thursday that Russia will soon experience consequences as it ramps up its military campaign in Syria. "In the coming days, the Russians will begin to suffer from casualties," he said.
Syrian troops — bolstered by Russian airstrikes and sea-based cruise missiles — launched a large-scale military operation in central and northwestern parts of the country "to liberate the area" from terrorist groups, the nation's top general said Thursday.
Gen. Ali Ayoub, the Syrian chief of staff, did not specify the target areas for the new offensive but said Syria had created new fighting units to wage the campaign, the state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
The heavy fighting appeared to be concentrated in the rural areas of Idlib, Hama and Latakia provinces, where the Army of Conquest, a coalition of rebel groups that includes the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, operates, the Associated Press reported. The Western-backed Free Syrian Army also has a presence in the area. The Islamic State has a limited presence in western Hama.
While much of the Syrian agency's report centered on claims of attacks on Islamic State militants and al-Qaeda affiliated groups, the Syrian regime also refers to rebels fighting Assad as "terrorists."
Ayoub, in a rare televised address, said Russian strikes against the Islamic State and "other terrorist organizations" had reduced their combat capabilities and that Syrian armed forces "have taken the reins of military operations and formed well-armed and equipped human forces," SANA reported.
In its latest show of force, the Russian defense ministry said cruise missiles fired from its ships in the Caspian Sea hit weapons factories, arms dumps, command centers and training camps supporting Islamic State forces, Reuters reported.
Russian officials say the 26 missiles hit the provinces of Raqqa and Aleppo in the north and Idlib province in the northwest, according to the AP. The Islamic State group has strongholds in Raqqa and Aleppo, while the Nusra Front has a strong presence in Idlib. Activists in Raqqa said at least one of the cruise missiles landed in an open area in the nearby town of Tabqa, causing a huge explosion.
The U.S. has charged that the Russians have focused their military campaign against anti-Assad rebels, not the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
"Greater than 90% of the strikes that we've seen them take to date have not been against ISIL or al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.
"They've been largely against opposition groups that want a better future for Syria and don't want to see the Assad regime stay in power," he said.
The Syrian media offered extensive reports on Russia's air campaign, saying that hundreds of Islamic State militants have died in the attacks, particularly in the northern province of Aleppo.
In the Latakia province of western Syria, where rebels fighting the Assad regime have maintained a lengthy offensive, a SANA reporter said 20 militants were killed when a car being rigged with explosives detonated. The report said a Saudi officer and explosives expert was among the dead. Saudi Arabia has backed the rebel fight against Assad and the Islamic State.
Russia’s intervention has strained ties with NATO, particularly Turkey, which shares a long border with Syria and has been a leading backer of the Syrian rebels.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Moscow’s military action in Syria is endangering trade ties with his country. Speaking to journalists while en route from Brussels to Tokyo, Erdogan warned that Ankara could look elsewhere for gas supplies and cancel the construction of its first nuclear power plant, which is being built by Russia. Russia supplies 60% of Turkey’s gas needs.
“Losing Turkey would be a serious loss for Russia,” Erdogan said, in comments published Thursday in the Hurriyet newspaper.
Over the weekend, Turkey reported back-to-back violations of its airspace by Russian warplanes. Russia called its penetration of Turkish airspace a minor incident that was unintentional.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, arrived for a meeting in Brussels of the alliance's defense minister, which is likely to focus on Syria and Russia's involvement there.
"NATO has already responded by increasing our capacity, our ability, our preparedness to deploy forces including to the south, including in Turkey," he said, adding that Russia's air and cruise missile strikes were "reasons for concern."
Syria’s conflict, which began as an uprising against Assad in March 2011 but descended into a full-blown civil war after a fierce government crackdown, has so far killed 250,000 people, according to United Nations figures.
Tehran apparently lobbied hard for Moscow to play a larger role in conflicts in Syria and Iraq, including by conducting airstrikes, according to a media report.
The head of Iran’s elite special forces unit Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, traveled to Russia in August to forcefully argue the case for military intervention in the region by President Vladimir Putin, the AP reported Thursday, citing anonymous Iraqi government officials.
The AP said Soleimani met with Putin and they reviewed maps, surveillance photos and shared intelligence. Soleimani also met with senior Russian military officials to discuss plans for a joint intelligence-sharing center in Baghdad between Iraq, Syria, Iran and Russia. That center is now operational.
That Putin, isn't he such a little scamp?
CoALabaer wrote: Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
This was a fairly new weapon, always bugs and such exposed that might not have been found in testing.
Sgt. Vanden - OOC Hey, that was your doing. I didn't choose to fly in the "Dongerprise'.
"May the odds be ever in your favour"
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
I have no clue how Dakka's moderation work. I expect it involves throwing a lot of d100 and looking at many random tables.
FudgeDumper - It could be that you are just so uncomfortable with the idea of your chapters primarch having his way with a docile tyranid spore cyst, that you must deny they have any feelings at all.
There is a very significant difference between "collateral damage" and "intentional targeting and lying about it", which is what we've seen with Russia's airstrikes in Syria(claiming that they are targeting ISIS forces and instead hitting rebel controlled areas with no ISIS presence).
But yeah. Let's start in with the "America does it too" nonsense early.
Ok, so 22 missiles hit targets within 3 meters of accuracy and 4 took a poop in flight.
These are cruise missiles that got fired from comparatively dinky little boats 900+ miles away. Oh, and those missiles are slated to become standard on something like 80% of RUS boats.
Not that this is a meaningful story, I mean technology and people mess up all the time and no one was killed, (can't say the same for cows as seen below) but there is now a named US official reporting this as well as local reports from Iran of UFOs crashing there at the same time the missiles were flying through the same area.
A new and disturbing danger has apparently arisen in the Middle East, and the Russian military is on it. It appears that cows have begun aligning themselves with terrorist organizations, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces are taking the steps necessary to shut down this bovine threat before things get any worse.
How else to translate the events of the past several days?
Shortly after Russian warships in the Caspian Sea launched a reported 26 cruise missiles toward Syria on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared on television to celebrate the success of the attack.
Shoigu announced that all 26 of the missiles struck within three meters of their intended targets, and he claimed that no civilian buildings were damaged.
In televised comments, Putin added, “The fact that we have launched precision-guided weapons from the Caspian at a range of around 1,500 km and hit all the targets indicates the good status of defense industry and the good skills of the personnel.”
However, reports began to trickle out on Thursday that perhaps not all of the Russian missiles had actually made it into Syria. A report from the town of Takab, which is directly under the flight path of the Russian missiles as revealed by maps released by the Kremlin, detailed how a massive explosion at around 6 a.m. rocked the rural area on Wednesday.
The “unidentified flying object” exploded several hundred meters outside Takab, close enough to shake buildings and frighten residents.
It also killed “several head of cattle,” according to the report.
On Thursday, U.S. intelligence officials told reporters that as many as four of the Russian missiles had crash landed in rural Iran. However, there was immediate pushback from both Russia and from Iran, which has joined the Kremlin in backing Assad with troops and weapons.
Iranian General Musa Kamali told the Kremlin-run News site Sputnik that reports of Russian missiles going off-target were “blatant lies” and part of a Western propaganda campaign.
The Kremlin stuck to its claim that all 26-missile attacks were successful.
“No matter how unpleasant and unexpected for our colleagues in the Pentagon and Langley was yesterday's high-precision strike on Islamic State infrastructure in Syria, the fact remains that all missiles launched from our ships have found their targets,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.
So if Russia is indeed only targeting terrorists, as it has said, and if no missiles went off target, that can lead to only one conclusion: the cows were terrorists.
The U.S. and its allies haven’t many kind words for Vladimir Putin these days, but he should at least be thanked for identifying this new threat and taking prompt and decisive action to neutralize it.
Interesting style choice by the author. Wonder how he wrote about US being on the case of protecting everyone from hack doctors by shooting up MSF/DWB hospital in Afghanistan?
4 Russian Cruise Missiles Crash in Iran En Route to Syria
ABC News By LUIS MARTINEZ 15 hours ago
At least four cruise missiles fired from Russian navy ships in the Caspian Sea towards Syria Wednesday crashed in northwestern parts of Iran according to U.S. officials.
Regional press reports in northwestern Iran referred to the crash of “unidentified flying objects.”
On Wednesday, Russia fired 26 cruise missiles at what it said were ISIS targets in Syria, assisting a ground offensive launched by the Syrian military in central western Syria.
U.S. officials said that it was unclear if the Russian missiles caused any damage or casualties as they crashed in Iranian territory.
A video released by the Russian Defense Ministry of the missile launches also included an animation detailing the trajectory the missiles took flying over northwestern Iran and northern Iraq en route to their targets in Syria.
Little noticed regional press reports on Wednesday mentioned an “unidentified flying object” that had crashed near the town of Takab close to the border with Iraq. A report in Oyan News cited the governor of Takab describing the crash of a “drone” near the village of Qiz Qapan in the early morning hours.
Images posted by Oyan News on Thursday in several structures in the village which matched initial descriptions provided by witnesses.
Wednesday’s launch marked the first use of Russian cruise missiles in combat.
A U.S. official told ABC News that their use in Syria was probably intended to demonstrate Russia’s military capabilities. The official noted that other weapons available to the Russian military already in Syria carried more firepower than that aboard the cruise missiles.
US says "you missed". Russia says "no we didn't".
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2015/10/09 19:01:48
There is a very significant difference between "collateral damage" and "intentional targeting and lying about it", which is what we've seen with Russia's airstrikes in Syria(claiming that they are targeting ISIS forces and instead hitting rebel controlled areas with no ISIS presence).
But yeah. Let's start in with the "America does it too" nonsense early.
How is it nonsense? It has happened. It might have been a tad unnecessary to point it out, and an easy jibe, but it isn't nonsense.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/10/09 18:48:30
I think the real question though that we haven't asked ourselves, is did these Russian missiles have Ignore Cover? Cause that could make a big difference for Iran.
Certainly agree that more corroborating info/sources would be needed.
And, correct, the US shouldn't be quick to point fingers.
But, the US does at least admit to the mistakes (when caught, anyway). Would Russia? And, since it's Iran, would they decide to keep it quiet to curry more favor with Russia?
"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see.
One chants out between two worlds: Fire, walk with me." - Twin Peaks
"You listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchetman in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I'll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method... is love. I love you Sheriff Truman." - Twin Peaks
I think the real question though that we haven't asked ourselves, is did these Russian missiles have Ignore Cover? Cause that could make a big difference for Iran.
How so? Everyone gets a 4+ these days?
Dman137 wrote:
goobs is all you guys will ever be
By 1-irt: Still as long as Hissy keeps showing up this is one of the most entertaining threads ever.
Iran gave Russia permission to use their airspace. The government in Tehran is not going to care too much about 4 missiles that crashed in rural areas, just a guess tho.
Seems like Putin did a bit of a victory dance saying all our missiles hit, the US comes out and says check again, you missed badly a few times. I think some Russian Intel guys might be very uncomfortable right now. I doubt Putin is happy about getting bad Intel and being shown to be wrong there.
Yes, Bush's aircraft carrier victory dance was worse. Everyone gets to loom like an ass in international affairs from time to time.
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