Russia said to send more warplanes to Syria, diplomacy 'on life support'

People walk on the rubble of damaged buildings in the rebel held area of al-Kalaseh neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria

Damascus: Russia is sending more warplanes to Syria to ramp up its air campaign, a Russian newspaper reported on Friday, as the United States said diplomacy to halt the violence was "on life support" but not dead yet.

Fighting continued to intensify a week into a new Russian-backed Syrian government offensive to capture rebel-held eastern Aleppo and crush the last urban stronghold of a revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that began in 2011.