Moscow doubts effectiveness of U.S.-led coalition in fight against ISIS

"From the point of view of military and political situation, a tendency on strengthening the Islamic State positions arouses concern," a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said

© AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

Moscow expresses doubts concerning the veracity of information on the coalition successes in the fight against the Islamic State, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Moscow also doubts the effectiveness of the air strikes the international coalition has been carrying out against the Islamic State terrorist group, the spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"From the point of view of military and political situation, a tendency on strengthening the Islamic State positions arouses concern, especially with regard to the activities of the US-led anti-terrorist coalition," Alexander Lukashevich said.

"Many media raise the role and effect of the aviation slightly," he said. "Allegedly, the IS lost over a thousand of militants on the Syrian territory as result of air strikes."

"It's hard to say how precise this statistics is. But evidently, the tendency in the fight against the IS cannot be overcome without coordination of actions with Damascus," Lukashevich said.

Comment: It seems thatRussia plans to resolve the crisis U.S. and their allies have fomented in Syria via diplomacy. The plan is to start dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition groups. The inter-Syrian dialogue (also called Moscow I) is to start in early 2015.

See: Gatilov: Russia hopes an inter-Syrian dialogue be held soon

The 'coalition' air strikes target, among other things, civilians, grain silos and oil refineries, while at the same time doing nothing to stop ISIS. So it's no wonder Moscow has doubts about their efforts.