"According to information received by the Russian Center for reconciliation of warring parties in Syria from independent sources located in the province of Idlib, a large shipment of toxic substances, accompanied by eight representatives of the White Helmets, was delivered from the village of Afs to the settlement of Saraqib, to a warehouse used by the militants from the Ahrar al-Sham group to store weapons and fuel supplies. They were met by two high-ranking commanders from the above-mentioned illegal armed group," Tsygankov said at a daily briefing.
"A part of this shipment in unmarked plastic barrels was later transported to another militant base in the southern part of Idlib province in order to stage a false-flag chemical attack and subsequently accuse the government forces of the use of toxic agents against civilians," Tsygankov stressed.
READ MORE: US Redirects $230Mln for Syria Stabilization, to Continue Funding White Helmets
Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday that the White Helmets group in Syria plans to film videos for Middle Eastern and English-language media outlets after staging a false-flag chemical weapons attack aimed at sharply destabilizing the situation in the war-torn country.
Ryabkov stressed that the Nusra Front terrorist group, which now refers to itself as the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group, was plotting a very serious provocation in the Idlib area with the use of chemical weapons. According to the deputy minister, the White Helmets group in Syria will film a video of the "chemical attack," and the provocation might be used as a pretext for massive strikes on Syria.
READ MORE: US, Israel Want White Helmets Out of Syria to Prevent Exposure – Ex-CIA Officer
According to the Russian military, chemical weapons provocation, currently being prepared by terrorists in Syria, is aimed at allowing France, the United Kingdom and the United States to carry out a strike on Syrian government’s targets.
The White Helmets is a Syrian humanitarian organization that claims to have saved tens of thousands of lives. Both Moscow and Damascus said that the White Helmets had ties with terrorists and extremists. The group's head, Raed Saleh, said earlier in August that the White Helmets, however, were not linked to any terror organization.
Meanwhile, a senior Russian lawmaker told Sputnik on Tuesday that Moscow was concerned about Washington's military build-up in the Mediterranean near the Syrian coast.
"The United States is strengthening its naval task force in the Mediterranean Sea not far from Syria. This is done to prepare for the strike. So, it should be expect that in the event of a provocation and a decision to deliver strikes against Syria, the missiles will be launched both from the air, and from the sea," Alexei Kondratyev, deputy chair of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, said.
READ MORE: State Department Says US Will Respond to Chemical Weapons Use in Idlib, Syria
At the same time, Kondratyev expressed hope that Russia's warnings about the forthcoming provocation with the use of chemical weapons in Syria will "be able to cool the hotheads down and convince the coalition to avoid the strikes."
