(Source: http://novostink.ru/mir)

Russia has launched the air operation in Syria not with the purpose to divert attention from what is happening in Ukraine. This was stated by spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on air of the “Russia 1” TV channel.

The diplomat called such opinions populist. “It’s not a question of a rivalry, it’s not a question of dropping the subject of Ukraine or going into some other reality” – TASS quoted her words. Zakharova noted that Moscow intervened into the conflict, when it “was already in full swing”. According to her, the USA "not only failed to solve, but worsened it” over 4.5 years.

“They attribute the rivalry with the United States to us: it is the second superpower and so on. The question is that at some point you need to recognize that your actions are wrong, not because someone wants it, but because it is the reality. I think that the problem of Washington is that they have climbed the Olympus and cannot recognize that the path they chose in the Syrian conflict is wrong” - the representative of the Ministry added.    

On September 30th Russian Aerospace Forces (ASF) began pinpoint strikes on the objects of the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS) in Syria which is prohibited in Russia.

The operations began after the Russian President Vladimir Putin had received the mandate of the Federation Council on the use of the Armed Forces abroad Russia. The appeal for rendering military assistance to counter the Islamic State was received by Moscow from the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.