Russian Military Dismisses Russian or Syrian Involvement in Airstrikes on UN Convoy

 Russian and Syrian aircraft did not carry out any airstrikes against a UN humanitarian aid convoy near the city of Aleppo, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.

"No airstrikes were carried out against a humanitarian aid convoy in a Southwestern suburb of Aleppo by Russian or Syrian aviation," said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov, Sputnik reported.

"Seeing as the convoy’s route lied through the territories controlled by militants, the Russian reconciliation center monitored its passage yesterday via drones," Konashenkov said.

On Monday, the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the aid convoy crossed the conflict line in the Big Orem area of the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Later in the day, UN officials stated that the convoy had been shelled and there were casualties.

According to the Russian military spokesman, the monitoring finished when all humanitarian aid was delivered at around 10:40 GMT.

"Further movements of the convoy were not monitored by the Russian side. Only the militants controlling this area know details of the convoy’s location," Konashenkov added.

The examination of video footage reveals no signs of an ammunition strikes on the convoy, he said. The UN said that it is premature to name the party responsible for the attack.