"Medvedev expressed concern about how the Security Council resolution on the no-fly zone was being implemented and about the possibility of casualties among the civilian population in connection with the indiscriminate use of force by the aviation," the Kremlin press service said. In a visit dominated by events in Libya, Gates rejected Moscow's criticism of the strikes against Qadhafi's regime even as he predicted that the bombing would be scaled back within days. Earlier, Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov called for an immediate ceasefire and charged coalition forces with killing civilians in their bombing campaign. As a grim-faced Gates looked on, Serdyukov said civilian deaths "shouldn't have been let to happen and we informed our US counterparts of our opposition". Gates, however, said international forces were careful to avoid risking civilian lives and that most targets in the strikes were located well away from cities and towns. He later told reporters travelling with him that nearly all civilian casualties in the fighting had been caused by Qadhafi's forces and questioned Moscow's "tone".

"It's almost as though some people here are taking at face value Qadhafi's claims about the number of civilian casualties, which as far as I'm concerned  is just outright lies," he said. Russia abstained from last week's UN Security Council vote approving armed  intervention in Libya, designed to protect civilians against Qadhafi's forces. US officials were grateful Russia chose not to block military action, but Moscow appeared increasingly uncomfortable as US and European forces pounded  regime targets for a fourth day. Russia's tougher stance on Libya came amid signs of strain in the coalition of countries backing the intervention, with Britain, France and the United States trying to shore up Arab support. Gates arrived in Moscow a day after furious comments from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who compared the UN resolution that allowed air strikes on Libya to a medieval call to a crusade. While dismissing Moscow's criticism, Gates said he told his Russian counterpart that bombing raids would likely be scaled down within a "few" days as air defence sites are knocked out. Destroying radar and surface-to-air missiles would pave the way for an UN-mandated no-fly zone that could be patrolled by combat aircraft, with the American military then assuming a supporting role, he said. Gates said he told Serduykov that "significant military fighting that has been going on should recede in the next few days". His comments came a day after President Barack Obama said the US military would be reducing its role in the operation soon. Serdyukov, after hour-long talks with Gates, said military relations overall were progressing with Washington while calling for an end to all violence in Libya.

"We are convinced that the shortest path to the safety of peaceful civilians is through an immediate ceasefire and the start of dialogue," he said.