Russia critical of U.S. plan to give rebels air cover

Russia on Monday criticised U.S. plans to provide together with Turkey air cover for Syrian rebels, saying any support for rivals of Russian ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hampered Damascus' fight against Islamic State.

Ankara and Washington are hoping that together with the Syrian rebels they would sweep Islamic State fighters from a strip of land along the Turkish border.

"Moscow has stressed multiple times that helping Syrian opposition, let alone helping with financial or (military) technical means, would lead to a further destabilisation of the situation in the country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.