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A Pentagon
spokesman had accused Russian and Syria government forces on
Wednesday of destroying Aleppo's two main hospitals with air
strikes, though he did not specify when the strikes were alleged
to have taken place.
The Syrian army has made rapid advances near Aleppo in recent
weeks with the help of Russian air strikes.
But Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a
statement that "only aviation of the anti-ISIS coalition flew
over the city yesterday", referring to the U.S.-led alliance of
countries fighting the Islamic State militant group.
"At 1355 Moscow time, two U.S. Air Force A-10 attack aircraft
entered Syrian airspace from Turkish territory. Reaching Aleppo
by the most direct path, they made strikes against objects in
the city."
He said the Russian targets on that day had been at least 20 km
(12 miles) from the city.
When asked on Wednesday whether the U.S.-led coalition could do
more to help rebels in Aleppo or improve access for humanitarian
aid to the city, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said
that the coalition's focus remained on fighting Islamic State,
which was "virtually non-existent in that part of Syria".
Capturing Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the war but now
divided between rebel- and government-held sectors, would
represent a major military victory for Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad and a symbolic prize for his ally, Russia, to help
justify its bombing campaign in Syria.
Members of the United Nations Security Council pressed Russia on
Wednesday to stop bombing Aleppo in support of the Syrian
military offensive and allow humanitarian access ahead of a
meeting of major powers in Germany on the conflict.
(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; writing by Jack Stubbs,; Editing
by Kevin Liffey)
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