24 January 2017, 16:26 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Council of the Federation's Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairperson Konstantin Kosachev told representatives of Syria's domestic opposition and civil society that Russia's goal is to "break up the terrorists who settled in your country's territory."
"Russia's opponents are trying to accuse it in that the Russian Aerospace Forces' military operation in Syria pursues political objectives by supporting the Syrian government; pursues its own interests in the economic, energy and military areas. That is certainly not the case," Kosachev said.
Russia launched a military campaign against the outlawed Daesh terrorist group in Syria at the request of the country’s government in September 2015.
