"Today's situation in Syria is critical. The Islamic State is capturing more and more territory, bloodshed is on the rise, there is a serous humanitarian disaster in Syria, as we see from the thousands of refugees arriving in European and other countries," Matvienko told reporters.
According to the politician, fighting the terrorist group in Syria meets Russian interests because the group could potentially expand into Europe and Russia unless it is stopped.
Matvienko stressed that the Syrian Army was the only force legitimately fighting against ISIL militants operating in the region, as the airstrikes conducted by a US-led coalition were not approved by Damascus.
Earlier in the day, Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously approved the use of Russian armed forces in Syria after receiving a request for assistance from Damascus. According to the Kremlin, this decision only covers the use of the country's air force and does not involve ground troops.