But a similar agreement unravelled earlier this year, and Russia’s intervention a year ago in support of Assad has given it critical leverage over the diplomatic process.
Advertisement
The Syrian military said the deadly airstrike hit a base in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour that is surrounded by IS, allowing the extremists to advance and overrun Syrian army positions in the area.
Earlier on Friday, rebels and government forces engaged in heavy shelling across front lines on the outskirts of Damascus, killing at least two fighters.
East Aleppo, where around 250,000 civilians are besieged by government forces, is a major concern for humanitarian organizations.
The delivery of humanitarian aid is a key part of a US-Russia ceasefire deal in effect since Monday.
Speaking in Geneva, de Mistura blamed Assad’s government for the delay. -Russian agreement, de Mistura cited a lack of cooperation by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“All the permissions the Syrian government was supposed to give have been given for humanitarian supplies to reach people in need in various parts of Syria and that the humanitarian convoy to eastern Aleppo is supposed to leave tomorrow morning”, Churkin said. That’s a fact. It is particularly regrettable because normally during these days we are losing time.
“Our appeal is the following”, Egeland said. “Can well-fed, grown men please stop putting political, bureaucratic and procedural roadblocks for fearless humanitarian workers who are willing and able to go to serve women, children, wounded civilians in besieged and crossfire areas?”
The first civilian deaths since a cease-fire took effect in Syria were reported Thursday, while opposing sides in the conflict continued to hold back aid deliveries to hundreds of thousands of people.
Three more died and 13 were injured in air strikes in rebel-held Idlib province on Friday, the Observatory said.
An activist with the opposition-aligned group Aleppo Media Center said people are hopeful this initiative will work, even though past agreements – including a different ceasefire also brokered by the U.S. and Russian Federation earlier this year – have fallen apart since the conflict began in 2011.
The Kremlin also said it was using its influence to try to ensure the Syrian army fully implemented the ceasefire agreement and that it hoped the USA would use its own influence with rebel groups too. The withdrawals will make way for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to establish checkpoints on the road and direct aid convoys in.
Outside Aleppo, Syrian forces that had been stationed along Castello road – a main artery into rebel-held areas of the city – were replaced by Russian troops, Rami Abdurrahman of the Observatory said.
“The Russians are authorized to be striking those targets”, says Lt. Col. Rick Francona, a CNN military analyst.
“The United States will not compromise operational security”, the official said.
Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador, said there were discussions at the United Nations on the proposed resolution that could be adopted on Wednesday when the Security Council holds a special meeting on Syria.
Russian Federation and American officials have said the agreement is meant to set the stage for peace talks to resolve the Syrian war, now in its sixth year. But right now, amid the continuing tensions, they are going nowhere.
The United Nations was also ready to send aid by the end of the week to besieged areas close to Damascus and Homs, including Moademiya, al-Waer, Talbish, and Douma, according to Jan Egeland, the UN special adviser on humanitarian affairs.
Advertisement
The ceasefire deal calls for the demilitarisation of the key Castello Road into the city.
