Russian parliament grants Vladimir Putin right to deploy military in Syria

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Vladimir Putin has received permission from parliament for Russian forces to take place in bombing raids in Syria, two days after the Russian leader spoke to the UNand called for an international coalition against terrorism to fight Islamic State.

The federation council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, held a swift, closed session on Wednesday morning in which it unanimously approved Putin’s request.

Putin said in New York that Russia would not carry out ground operations in Syria, and his chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov, emphasised this again on Wednesday, saying the request to the federation council referred exclusively to airstrikes. He did not give any figures of the number of planes likely to be involved or the number of Russian military specialists on the ground inside Syria to back up the operation.

Fox News reported on Wednesday that Russian officials have sent an official demand for US planes to exit Syrian airspace immediately, as a number of Russian officials described western airstrikes in the region as illegal.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/30/russian-parliament-grants-vladimir-putin-right-to-deploy-military-in-syria

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1. Official: Russia conducts first airstrike in Syria

Washington (CNN)Russia has conducted its first airstrike in Syria, near the city of Homs, a senior U.S. official told CNN on Wednesday .

The Russians told the United States that it should not fly U.S. warplanes in Syria, but gave no geographical information about where Russia planned to strike. The senior official said U.S. missions are continuing as normal.

Earlier Wednesday, the upper house of the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin approval to use the air force in Syria, according to state media.

"The Federation Council unanimously supported the President's request -- 162 votes in favor of granting permission," Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergey Ivanov said, according to ITAR-Tass.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/politics/russia-syria-airstrikes-isis/