Story highlights Moscow blasts US over "veil of confidentiality" around civilian deaths in Mosul

US has frequently criticized Russia's air campaign in Syria's civil war

(CNN) Russia is stepping up its criticism of US military action in Iraq -- calling Pentagon comments about civilian casualties in Mosul "absurd."

Russia's Ministry of Defense issued a statement Sunday that derides US officials' comments about the US-led coalition's possible role in more than 100 civilian deaths in Mosul last month.

"Absurd statements of the Pentagon representatives justifying civil casualties caused by American bombing in Iraq give more information on the operation planning level and the alleged supremacy of the American "smart" bombs," the statement reads.

The Russian ministry's statement references coalition spokesperson Col. Joseph Scrocca's comments from last week, when he told reporters that ""ISIS is smuggling civilians into buildings so we won't see them and trying to bait the coalition to attack."

Scrocca said the coalition had observed the new ISIS tactic on video surveillance, but US officials have not released the footage. The Russian ministry statement questions why the US military is only now revealing ISIS' alleged new tactic -- and asks why the coalition proceeded with the strike despite knowing about it.

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