Defense

Russia Says US Strike On Syria Will Destroy Evidence Of ‘Provocation’

Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/ via REUTERS/File Photo

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Will Racke Immigration and Foreign Policy Reporter
Font Size:

The Russian government said Wednesday the U.S. and its allies should refrain from striking Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack because military action would destroy “all evidence” of what happened at the attack site.

In a Facebook post, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked if a chemical weapons watchdog preparing to deploy to Syria was aware that U.S.-led strikes could interfere with its investigation.

“Or is it the original idea to use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug?” Zakharova added, according to the Associated Press.

The Syrian government denies allegations that it used poison gas against civilians in eastern Ghouta over the weekend. The attack killed at least 60 people and left hundreds more injured, drawing international outrage and promises from Western allies to respond with military force.

Russia continues to insist the attack was fabricated by rebel groups in Syria with the aim of provoking a U.S. attack on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

President Donald Trump promised on Tuesday a missile strike “will be coming” and warned Russia not to intervene in defense of Assad. Trump’s heated words were a response to Russia’s envoy to Lebanon, who said earlier that Russian forces would “shoot down the missiles and target the positions from where they were launched.”

The Kremlin appeared to walk back its ambassador’s remarks on Wednesday, calling for both sides to wait for an “impartial investigation” before deciding how to respond to the chemical attack.

“As before, we would like to hope that all sides will avoid any steps that a) are not provoked by anything and b) could significantly destabilize an already fragile situation in the region,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and France have moved warships armed with cruise missiles into the eastern Mediterranean, within striking range of Syria. Britain also has an air defense destroyer in the same area, along with more than a dozen fighter jets that could be used in an attack, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Follow Will on Twitter

Send tips to will@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.