Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has revealed that the country has launched missiles from the Rostov-on-Don submarine against ISIS militant targets in Syria.

Claimed to be the first such firing by Russia against ISIS, Shoigu said that the cruise missiles were fired at two "terrorist positions" in Raqqa in northern Syria, which is the self-proclaimed capital of the militant group.

Agence France-Presse, citing Russian news agencies, reported Shoigu as saying: "We used Kalibr cruise missiles from the Rostov-on-Don submarine from the Mediterranean Sea.

"We used Kalibr cruise missiles from the Rostov-on-Don submarine from the Mediterranean Sea."

"We can say with complete confidence that fairly serious damage was done to weapons stores and a factory for preparing mines and, naturally, oil infrastructure."

Shoigu further added that information regarding the missiles strikes were briefed in advance to the US and Israel.

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The 3M-14 Kalibr variant missiles have been designed to be carried by submarines and warships, and have a range of approximately 1,000 miles.

The Rostov-on-Don submarine is one of the six Project 636 Vashavyanka-class diesel-electric submarines that are either constructed or being built at the Admiralty Shipyard in St Petersburg.

The Russian intervention in Syria marked the first significant military action outside the former Soviet Union after the end of the cold war.