Russia said the country's air force has stepped up airstrikes in Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad's forces chase IS from the city of Deir el- Zour, the last major stronghold of IS, killing about 800 gunmen across Syria this month alone.
Mail newspaper quoted General Sergei Rudskoi as saying that Russian flights currently conduct 60-70 flights per day, targeting fighters heading towards the city for combat.
In the latest airstrikes, 200 IS names were killed.