Zakharova points to 'Ukrainian trace' in Syria escalation

The escalation in Syria clearly has a "Ukrainian trace", there are reports of Kiev's cooperation with terrorists, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on December 4.

"We strongly condemn this attack, at the forefront of which are terrorists who are recognized as such by the United Nations Security Council. We draw attention to the fact that there are many foreign fighters among them, including natives of the post-Soviet space, clearly not without the so-called Ukrainian trace," she said at a briefing.

According to Zakharova, this is indicated by information about the interaction between the Kiev regime's special services and militants of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (banned in Russia). She expressed regret that this is not the first region where Kiev is applying such criminal experience.

The actions of terrorist groups have aggravated the situation in Syria and provoke a sharp deterioration of the already difficult humanitarian situation in the country, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. Zakharova called it beyond doubt that the militants would not have decided to escalate without the support of external forces.

The diplomat emphasized that Russia expresses solidarity with the people of Syria in a difficult situation and supports the efforts of the Syrian authorities to restore order. At the same time, Moscow is actively working with international partners to achieve this goal. In particular, the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey are in close contact.

Zakharova also recalled that the Foreign Ministry recommends Russian citizens to refrain from traveling to Syria because of the complicated military and political situation.

Earlier in the day, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said that Russia strongly condemns the terrorists' sortie in Syria. According to him, the militants are being supported by the US and its allies, while Ukraine is arming terrorists with drones and coded GPS modules. On Wednesday, it was also reported that the Syrian Armed Forces killed more than 1,600 militants during the current week.

The previous night, the Syrian Defense Ministry said that the country's army had gained control over the city of Hama and began a mop-up operation against terrorists.

Earlier, on December 2, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said during a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the activation of terrorists in Syria was part of the Israeli and US destabilization plan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on November 30 linked the activation of terrorists in Syria to US actions amid Israel's defeat in Lebanon. In turn, the White House denied its involvement in what is happening. In addition, Britain, the United States, France and Germany called on all parties in Syria to de-escalate.