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Russia planning no land operation in Syria — Foreign Ministry

"Despite our efforts, the myth of Russia’s alleged plans of a land operation of Syria continues to exists," Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said
Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakahrova TASS/Mikhail Japaridze
Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakahrova
© TASS/Mikhail Japaridze

MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. The Russian Armed Forces are not planning to launch a land operation in Syria, Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson Maria Zakahrova said on Thursday.

"Despite our efforts, the myth of Russia’s alleged plans of a land operation of Syria continues to exists," Zakharova said. "I’d like to separately address such media outlets as CNN and the New York Times: if you are making such statements and quoting some anonymous sources, do be so kind and publish our commentary that such operations are not being planned."

"I think the stories quoting anonymous sources in the Pentagon should quote anonymous sources in Moscow," she added.

The awareness of the common threat emanating from the IS terrorist group creates conditions for collective action against militants, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said.

"Everyone has realized the extent and level of threat posed by the IS, this is the result of the analysis of our partners…," she said. "All this creates conditions for realizing the extent of the threat, for arriving at collective and really effective action."

Zakharova noted that Russia was open to such cooperation in the fight against terrorism. "If we speak about the conditions under which this should proceed, this fight must certainly be based on the observance of the principles of international law."

Russia calls on everybody who is not linked to terrorists to join the work counteracting the terrorist threat, Maria Zakharova also said.

"Russia’s Air Force delivers strikes exceptionally against international terrorist organisations and their accomplices," Zakharova said. "Those who do not communicate with terrorist organisations, do not interact or coordinate their steps with terrorists have nothing to fear about."

"On the contrary, Russia offers to all of them to share work at different agencies," she said. "The goal of this work is evident - we have never concealed it - the terrorists’ attacks should be repelled and organisation of the political process should be intensified as it was stipulated by the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012."