MOSCOW urged the United States today to abandon plans for a military strike against Syrian government forces.

“We’ve warned and warned the US that these plans must be unconditionally refused,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

“Any such unlawful use of force, similar to what happened almost a year ago at the Shairat air base, would be an act of aggression against a sovereign state, as defined by the relevant article of the UN Charter.”

He expressed the fear that if the situation in Syria and, in particular, Eastern Ghouta changes for the better, opponents of a peaceful resolution to the conflict could incite the international community by sabotaging this process, possibly by using chemical weapons.

“The situation in Eastern Ghouta has changed radically for the better,” Mr Ryabkov asserted, pointing out that tens of thousands of people have already left the danger zone.

“All this, of course, infuriates, in the truest sense of the word, the opponents of the government in Damascus. They are looking for new pretexts for attacks on us and on Syria.

“In this situation, of course, any provocations are possible and we need to be prepared. Provocations could include staging the use of chemical weapons by government troops,” said Mr Ryabkov.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said earlier that Washington was prepared to act on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

She claimed that the US hit the Shairat air base last April after a chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun because the UN security council “was unable to take action.”

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed in Moscow yesterday that 79,655 people had been evacuated from Eastern Ghouta through humanitarian corridors in the last five days.

He stressed that this evacuation was thanks to “a unique and unprecedented humanitarian operation led by the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides.”

Mr Shoigu added that, “since the start of the Russian military campaign in Syria over 1,300,000 refugees have returned to territories liberated from terrorists.”

He urged the US and coalition forces to “be guided by reason while making decisions and stop fraternising with terrorists.”