Russia strikes ISIS with cruise missiles from a Mediterranean submarine for the first time in history
November 17, 2015
Russia struck ISIS capital with "Caliber" cruise missiles from the submarine in the Mediterranean sea. This is the first in history practical use of such weapon. Russia responded to the confirmation of the terrorist attack on plane A321 in Egypt.
Russian diesel-electric submarine "Rostov-on-don", making the transition from the Northern fleet to Novorossiysk, struck targets near the Syrian city of Raqqa, the capital of the banned in Russia "Islamic state" from the Eastern Mediterranean sea with "Caliber" cruise missiles, told RBC a source close to the Defense Ministry.
The results of the strike are being analysed using aerial and space intelligence. According to the source, the strike was made after the order of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to intensify attacks on terrorists in connection with their involvement in the crash of the Russian plane A321 in Egypt.
The targets of the strikes were training bases, the headquarters, warehouses with weapons and ammunition, and points of concentration of militants. The attack was executed on a ballistic trajectory at an altitude of several kilometers, in order to avoid incidents with the busy shipping in the Mediterranean.
Strike from a diesel submarine "Rostov-on-don" was the first application of cruise missiles launched from a submarine on real enemy objects in the history of the Russian armed forces, said the RBC source.
There were no official confirmations of a new strike on ISIS from Moscow. First it was reported by the Western media. The French newspaper Le Monde, citing the French Defense Ministry announced the launch from the Mediterranean sea of Russian cruise missiles on Raqqa, without identifying the carrier of the missiles. According to the publication, the launch of missiles occurred on Tuesday morning, November 17.
Reuters with reference to US officials reported that Russia warned the American side about simultaneous strikes with sea-based cruise missiles and strategic bombers
