Syria conflict: Russia fears collapse of ceasefire

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Russia's military says rebel groups have increased attacks in Syria despite a ceasefire and has urged the US to act or be responsible for its collapse.

Russian generals said attacks by rebels, some US-backed, had increased sharply over the past 24 hours.

Gen Viktor Poznikhir said the rebel groups had "not met a single obligation" of the truce.President Vladimir Putin earlier accused the rebel groups of exploiting the ceasefire to regroup.

Russian General Vladimir Savchenko said "the situation in Syria is worsening", with 55 attacks over the past 24 hours, leading to the deaths of 12 civilians.Gen Poznikhir said Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, was doing all it could to rein in Syrian troops.

"If the American side does not take the necessary measures to carry out its obligations... a breakdown of the ceasefire will be on the United States," he said."The United States and the so-called moderate groups they control have not met a single obligation they assumed in the framework of the Geneva agreement."

The terms require moderate rebel groups to separate themselves from jihadists."Without separating, the government troops' hands are tied," Gen Poznikhir said.

"Our repeated messages to the American side are left without a response.. There is doubt that the US is able to influence the moderate opposition they control."Ceasefire breaches have been reported from both sides since the truce began.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by telephone on Saturday.Mr Lavrov said he had urged the publication of the Syria ceasefire document, echoing a call from Mr Putin, and for US military officials to be deployed to monitor the truce.

A US National Security Council spokesman said: "While there have been challenges on both sides, violence is considerably lower and the cessation is broadly holding."What we're not seeing is humanitarian aid getting through and it will be hard to build confidence on the ground until that occurs."