Story highlights Russian Ministry of Defense: Airstrike targeted ISIS militants, equipment

Ancient city of Palmyra has changed hands several times in past two years

(CNN) Cruise missiles launched by the Russian Navy hit a number of ISIS targets in Palmyra, Syria, Wednesday, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The strikes reportedly targeted militant ISIS "shelters" east of the ancient city, which housed heavy equipment and militant troops transferred from ISIS' de facto capital Raqqa.

"The Admiral Essen frigate and Krasnodar submarine of the Russian Navy conducted strikes by four Kalibr cruise missiles on objects of the ISIS terrorist grouping near Palmyra from the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea," the Ministry statement said. "All targets have been hit."

Корабли #ВМФ России осуществили пуски четырех крылатых ракет «Калибр» по объектам террористов ИГИЛ в районе Пальмиры pic.twitter.com/93ui5jDMUB — Минобороны России (@mod_russia) May 31, 2017

The statement said the strike "confirmed the high combat readiness of the Russian Navy forces," and noted that the US, Turkey and Israel were informed of the strikes at the "appropriate time."

"(The US, Turkey and Russia) all have the same stated position of destroying ISIS, and so they cooperate on some level," says CNN's Matthew Chance.

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