Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Moscow, SANA – Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Western allegations and accusations regarding Russia’s military operations against ISIS in Syria are illogical and incorrect.
At a press conference held in Moscow on Tuesday, Zakharova said that the Russian Air Force’s operations in Syria, which were prompted by a request from the Syrian leadership, prompted a smear campaign in the world media.
She said that Russia’s operations are based on the principles of national security, but the West is trying to give the impression that Russia is killing civilians in Syria, with some officials in states opposed to Russia’s operations repeating false allegations and incorrect information, while Western media bases its reports on unconfirmed data and unnamed sources.
The Spokesperson stressed that claims that Russia’s goal is to eliminate the “moderate opposition” are prefabricated and completely untrue, noting that Russia never received any answer for the question posed by its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who asked where the so-called moderate opposition is in Syria and what is the actual nature of the “Free Army.”
She addressed statements made by British officials who said that Russia’s operations in Syria are a mistake, saying that such statements are harmful and lead to destabilization, asserting that they aren’t based on facts or evidence.
Zakharova also noted that U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who made statements recently about Russia’s operations, can contact the Russian Defense Ministry to verify information as the two sides had reestablished communication channels.
She went on to point out that the same media outlets making claims about Russia targeting civilians in certain areas where these outlets claims there are no terrorists are the very same ones who reported about the presence of terrorists in those areas before, adding that information about Russian airstrikes in Syria is available freely on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website and can be accessed by anyone.
Zakharova also denied the presence of any Russian ground forces in Syria, asserting that there aren’t any Russian volunteers of companies or campaigns for sending ground troops.
Hazem Sabbagh
