Russia denies allegation that it is preparing an assault on Aleppo
The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that it is not attempting to carry out an assault on Aleppo under the guise of a humanitarian operation, RBC reported.
Washington has suggested that Russia could be preparing an assault on Aleppo by creating three humanitarian passages for civilians wanting to flee rebel-held eastern districts of the city.
"It has the risk, if it is a ruse, of completely breaking apart the level of cooperation," US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters.
"On the other hand, if we're able to work it out today and have a complete understanding of what is happening and then agreement on the way forward, it could actually open up some possibilities," he added.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, only a handful of Aleppo residents exited the city through one passage on Friday, while others attempting to flee were turned back by rebels.
Russia has been accused of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids.
During an interview with Interfax, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov dismissed the claims.
“Our American colleagues, by virtue of their own stagnation and suspicion with respect to Russia, start to ascribe to us some non-existent plans… We pursue our goals which we announced; nothing more and nothing less,” Ryabkov stated.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also stressed that Russia is attempting to carry out a purely humanitarian mission in Aleppo.
Similarly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also rejected the claims that Russia is preparing an assault on the rebel-held Syrian city.
On July 28, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu announced that a large-scale humanitarian mission would begin in Aleppo, enabling civilians to flee the city, and also allowing for rebels to lay down their arms.
On the same day, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree providing amnesty for rebel fighters wishing to surrender.
Several days earlier, Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Laos, following which the former stated that progress is being made in pursuing closer cooperation between the two countries in Syria.