SBS World News Radio: For first time in weeks, the Syrian city of Aleppo has come under renewed attack as Russia also announces the beginning of a new offensive in Homs and Idlib provinces.
After weeks of relative calm, Syria is again under fire.
Following a three week pause, Russia has launched a barrage of airstrikes targeting rebels fighting President Bashaar al-Assad's forces.
The renewed offensive was confirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
"Today at 10.30 and 11, we launched a new large airstrikes operation aimed at hitting ISIS positions and al Nusra in the provinces of Idlib and Homs. Its the first time in the history of the Russian military fleet the aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, has been used in an operation."
The Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia's only aircraft carrier in combat.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says other ships were involved.
"Among the ships involved in this operation there's Admiral Grigorovich frigate, cruise missiles Caliber were launched from it today to hit targets that have been previously determined. Apart from that, coastal missile launches Bastion have been launched to hit targets deep into the Syria territory."
Mr Shoigu says what he calls terrorists were targeted, including those from the self proclaimed Islamic State and the Nusra Front, now known as Fateh al-Sham.
"We have defined the main targets. They are ammunition warehouses, places of concentration of illegal armed groups or to be precise - terrorists training centres, and factories, I won't call them otherwise, because they are not small workshops, but namely factories producing various kinds of rather serious weapons of mass destruction."
The Syrian capital, Damascus has also come under fire.
A U-N worker was killed when a mosque was bombed.
And there are claims a Syrian regime helicopter bombed a building occupied by volunteer civil defence organisation, the White Helmets.
This Syrian Civil Defence volunteer blames Russia.
"The Russian jets early this morning targeted the Civil Defence Centre in Khan al Shih using three missiles. The centre was directly targeted and destroyed, injuring three civil defence members."
And in Aleppo, the most intense front in the war, fighting has resumed.
Syrian state television has reported government forces hit several districts in besieged rebel-held eastern areas.
British-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least three people have died.
While a number of airstrikes have struck at least three hospitals in rural western Aleppo, injuring a number of staff and patients.
Dr. Hamza al-Khatib is one of the last remaining doctors in Aleppo.
He says they're well-aware they are a target but carry on treating the scores of patients in need of medical assistance.
At the hospital, we know we might be attacked at any moment. I guess each doctor at the moment in Aleppo see between 100-150 patients each day.
Russia has denied taking part in the Aleppo attacks, saying for now, it's honouring a pause in air strikes there.
The operation was the first of its kind since Donald Trump won the US presidential election.
And it comes a day after the U-S President-elect and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone.
During the call the pair agreed to "combine efforts to tackle international terrorism and extremism."
