UNITED NATIONS, October 16. /TASS/. Russia is aware of Turkey’s concern but urges Ankara to balance its operation in Syria against the announced goals, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Wednesday after a closed-door session of the UN Security Council.

The session was convened at the request of five European countries.

"We understand Turkish national security concerns, but we believe that the operation that they are conducting should be proportionate to the aims that they declared," Nebenzia said.

On October 9, Ankara launched an offensive in north Syria dubbed Operation Peace Spring, which began with airstrikes on Kurdish units. The objective is to establish ‘a safe zone’ in northern Syria for protection of the Turkish border. In addition, Syrian refugees could return to that area from Turkey, Ankara believes. Syria’s SANA news agency slammed Ankara’s operation as an act of aggression. The international community criticized Ankara. SANA reported on Sunday evening that Damascus had dispatched army units to Syria’s north to offer resistance to the Turkish army.