Russia’s Defense Ministry is bewildered at the statement made by France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that Russia has misappropriated the victory over IS

Russian Defense Ministry

    

Russia’s Defense Ministry is bewildered at the statement made by France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that Russia has misappropriated the victory over IS (Islamic State terrorist organization, outlawed in Russia), the ministry said on Sunday.

“The defeat of IS in Syria is first of all result of actions by the Syrian leadership and governmental forces,” the ministry said. “With support of the Russian Aerospace Force, the Syrian armed forces liberated from IS terrorists hundreds of settlements and returned under control of the legitimate leadership practically the entire territory of the country.”

Over that time, the international coalition focused on counter-acting the Syrian governmental forces, including direct air strikes on their positions in Deir ez-Zor, the ministry said. Over three year of existence, the “coalition” only recently succeeded for the first time in fighting IS in Syria – when it delivered mass bombing of Raqqa and its civilians, the Defense Ministry said.