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Russian military sources say Vladimir Putin's war fleet is set to launch a massive cruise missile attack on war-torn Syria within the next 24 hours.

Talk of "war crimes" and "no fly zones" has been pushed to the back burner as the US decides whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will win the White House.

US officials had openly condemned Russia's bombing campaign in Syria and repeatedly threatened sanctions over what secretary of state John Kerry called the "the largest of humanitarian disasters".

Experts have warned tensions between the US and Russia over the conflict could boil over into "global war".

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Russia's war fleet arrived in the Mediterranean last week as they opened a final 10-hour window to allow civilians and rebels to flee the devastated city of Aleppo.

All talks for peace in Syria between the US-led coalition and Russia have failed as Putin has five warships and three Russian submarines poised the launch an assault to end the war in favour of the Kremlin and brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad.

The Kremlin has been accused of "war crimes" over the conflict as their warplanes repeatedly dropped bombs on civilians in Aleppo.

"The group's main goal is to carry out missile strikes on terrorists outside of Aleppo that are attempting to get into the city", the source said.

Sputnik reports a Russian military source as threatening: "Previous Kalibr missile strikes hit scores of terrorist targets; this time it'll be hundreds."

The battle group led by Russia's aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and battle cruiser Peter the Great are all readying for the attack as they lurched past Cyprus.

Sources told Russian media the Kremlin is planning to attack targets around the Aleppo region – denying plans to launching strikes on the residential areas of the city.

They also said they would be striking ISIS targets as part of the blitz.

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Western intelligence have repeatedly said they believe the aircraft carrier and fleet have just one intention only – warning of a "major military assault on Aleppo".

Boris Johnson, foreign secretary, described Aleppo as in a state of "apocalyptic horror" and said Putin's plot was to preserve the "blood-soaked Assad regime".

Putin flexed his military muscles by sending the war fleet stalking past the White Cliffs of Dover – as defence secretary Michael Fallon promised Britain would be "ready" for war with Russia within two years.