"The Federation Council unanimously supported the president’s request - 162 votes in favor," Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said on Tuesday.

The Kremlin said that the decision did not concern ground operations of the Russian Army.

According to TASS, Ivanov said that Russia will use only its Air Force in Syria, against Islamic State, on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s request.

"In order to observe the international law, one of the two conditions has to be met - either a UN Security Council resolution or a request by a country, on the territory of which an airstrike is delivered, about military assistance," Ivanov told journalists.

"In this respect, I want to inform you that the president of the Syrian Arab Republic has addressed the leadership of our country with a request of military assistance," he added.

On Monday, French TF1 broadcaster published what it said was "the first footage of Russian aircraft in an airport in Syria," while a convoy of Russian Navy ships passed through the Bosphorus on their way to the Middle Eastern country.