MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. US strikes on Syria are a blatant and brazen violation of international law, which deter the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Rossiya 1 TV channel on Saturday.
"A flagrant and brazen violation of international law is taking place, without any arguments. Throwing caution to the wind, and moreover derailing any full-fledged OPCW mission in this region, the US, along with its allies, carried out a strike on Damascus," she said.
The missile strike against Syria erodes the fundamentals of international law and Western countries must bear responsibility for this, she added.
"The most terrible thing that is happening is the actual erosion of the role of the UN Security Council. It turns out that precisely the institution that is responsible for the issues of security demonstrates its powerlessness to the entire world because of the actions of Western colleagues. This is a very dangerous trend," Zakharova said.
"Besides, the missiles that struck Damascus today, these missiles also struck the UN Security Council, and Western colleagues must bear responsibility for this," the Russian diplomat said.
Russia will provide facts and data on the missile strike by the US, Great Britain and France against Syria at a session of the UN Security Council, she added.
"The [UN] Security Council should fully consider this situation. On our part, we will provide the data and facts, which have been partially mentioned by the Defense Ministry and which will be offered for the attention of the UN Security Council," the spokeswoman said.
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Missile strike against Syria
According to data of Russia’s Defense Ministry, the missile strike against Syria’s military and civilian infrastructures was carried out by US planes and naval ships in cooperation with British and French air forces between 03:42 and 05:10 Moscow time on Saturday.
The United States, Britain and France said the strikes were in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria’s Douma.
On April 7, a number of NGOs, including the White Helmets, alleged that chemical weapons were used in Douma, Eastern Ghouta. According to the statement published on the organization’s website on April 8, chlorine bombs had been dropped on the city, killing dozens and poisoning many locals who had to be brought to the hospital.
The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed that report as fake news. The Defense Ministry added that the White Helmets were notorious for spreading falsehoods.
Representatives of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Sides held a probe in Douma on April 9 but found no traces of chemical weapons use. On April 10, Damascus sent an official invitation to the OPCW to visit Eastern Ghouta. On the same day, OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu said the organization had made a decision to send its experts to Syria.
OPCW experts were due to begin their probe at the scene of the alleged chemical attack on Saturday.