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Russia notifies US of suspending communication hotline — Pentagon

The move followed a deadly US air strike on the Shayrat airfield of the Syrian air forces in the Homs Governorate

WASHINGTON, April 8. /TASS/. Russia has formally notified the United States that it was suspending a communications hotline between Moscow and Pentagon on Syria starting from Saturday, a spokesman for the US Department of Defense told TASS.

The source said he was not going to elaborate on the issue.

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry's official spokesman, said Friday that Russia was suspending the communications channel, which the two sides established in line with a memorandum of understanding on prevention of incidents and ensuring of flight safety in Syrian airspace. An appropriate notification to the Pentagon via military diplomatic channels earlier on Friday.

"The US military attache in Moscow was summoned to the Defense Ministry to get an official note, which said the Russian side was suspending as of 00:00 hours on April 8 the observance of its obligations under the memorandum of understanding on prevention of incidents and ensuring of flight safety in the course of operation in the Syrian Arab Republic," he said.

The move followed a deadly US air strike on the Shayrat airfield of the Syrian air forces in the Homs Governorate.