MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Russia views the downing of the Syrian Air Force Su-22 warplane on June 18 by the US-led coalition as disrespect for the United Nations Charter, calling for a thorough investigation, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday.
"The Russian side considers these steps as a flagrant violation of the international law, principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and disrespect for the UN Charter," Zakharova said.
"We demand a thorough investigation by the US command of the above mentioned incident and the necessary measures on preventing a repetition of such situations in the future," she stressed.
Another violation of the international law by the US-led coalition is the deployment of additional US contingents, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System to At Tanf in southern Syria, Zakharova said. "They actively step up their military presence in the southern areas of a sovereign Syria in violation of the international law," she said. Twelve civilians were killed during the coalition’s airstrike on the positions of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) in the Al-Hasakah Governorate on June 19, the spokeswoman noted.
An important step towards boosting efforts for political settlement in Syria will be a meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on July 4-5, she said. "At the moment, guarantor countries are working on a package of documents related to the implementation of the May 4 memorandum," Zakharova said.