NOVOSIBIRSK, February 8. /TASS/. The situation surrounding the recent US-led coalition’s attack in Syria should be sorted out, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, pointing to the need to wait for Damascus to voice its position.

"I believe that at the moment it is important to figure out what actually happened there, compare the clarifications which are sure to follow with the information our military definitely has, as well as with the assessment that Damascus will provide," Ryabkov said.

The senior Russian diplomat pointed out that he had many times "seen situations when the US-led coalition’s use of military force either was unnecessary or led to collateral damage, over which the coalition member states expressed regret but it did not change the situation." Ryabkov once again emphasized the need to receive clarification from the US and other coalition members.

"The legitimacy of goals is a most complicated matter. We all remember the April incident when a missile attack was carried out on the Syrian Shayrat air base following a staged chemical weapons incident, which turned out to be an act of aggression against Syria," the Russian deputy foreign minister pointed out. "At the same time, we have always said that eliminating terrorist infrastructure facilities and terror groups active in Syria, who pose a threat to the entire Middle East and the whole world, is a completely legitimate goal," he added.

Ryabkov stated that Russia had always been and would remain ready to cooperate with the United States in that area.