US Criticizes Russia as Warship Targets Islamic State Group in Syria

​Travelling more than 900 miles, missiles launched from Russian warships in the Caspian sea targeted Islamic State bases in Syria on Wednesday morning, as the Syrian government moved in ground troops in rebel-held areas with Russian air support.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported that his country made at least 26 missile launches against the positions of the notorious armed group that has ravaged many parts of Syria and Iraq. He told the press that no civilians were affected by the attacks.

The strikes come as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter rebuffed Russia's overtures to cooperate on Syria on Wednesday morning, calling Russia’s strategy “flawed.”

Russia’s missile ship named Dagestan was used for the attack and can fire at the distance of 4,000 kilometers. The strikes are meant to support the Syrian government’s military campaign against armed groups in the country. It represents the first naval bombardment by Russia during the four-year conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry published a video on YouTube and Twitter showing the first images of the attack.

#SYRIA Cruise missile #Kalibr successfully hit all assigned #ISIS targets with high accuracy http://t.co/aSTdrTWNgW pic.twitter.com/1Pa21a2EQr

— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) octubre 7, 2015

Earlier on Wednesday Russia offered to coordinate a military offensive with the United States against the Islamic State group in Syria. However, shortly before public details of the attack emerged, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that coalition forces will not cooperate with Russia.

"We believe Russia has the wrong strategy...they continue to hit targets that are not the Islamic State,” he said.

Moscow has denied claims that it is targeting the U.S.-backed “moderate” rebels from the Free Syrian Army. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered to meet the armed group and coordinate a strategy against the Islamic State group.

Despite referring to the “rebels,” the U.S. government and western media have failed to identify which rebel forces they are referring to. The al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front, has forged alliances with other rebel groups on the ground.

The Russian Defense Ministry responded to U.S. attacks by saying the U.S. air force does not always bomb only terrorist targets.

"The American and other air forces have been carrying out strikes for a year already … we have grounds to believe that they have not always ... been striking terrorist targets," said Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

Further U.S. criticism against Russian operations in Syria came from U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, who cast doubt on the deployment of Russian troops and equipment to Moscow’s military facilities in Latakia and Tartus, Syria’s two largest coastal cities.