US President Donald Trump has ordered precision strikes targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons capabilities, in conjunction with the UK and France.
Mr Trump said the combined operation was part of a response that would be sustained until Syria stopped its use of chemical weapons. The operation by the three allies came after a suspected poison gas attack in Syria last week that potentially killed dozens of civilians.
“A short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad,” Mr Trump said in a televised address from the White House.
Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures
14 show all Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures
1/14 A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty
2/14 Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty
3/14 Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA
4/14 A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty
5/14 An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA
6/14 A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA
7/14 Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty
8/14 Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP
9/14 A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty
10/14 Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty
11/14 An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters
12/14 People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters
13/14 Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP
14/14 Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA
British Prime Minister Theresa May said she had authorised British forces to conduct precision strikes against Syria to help degrade its chemical weapons capability.
“This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change,” Ms May said in a statement. “It is about a limited and targeted strike that does not further escalate tensions in the region and that does everything possible to prevent civilian casualties.”
Russia warned of “consequences” for the US-led military strikes, saying the use of missiles on suspected chemical weapons assets were an insult to Vladimir Putin.
“A pre-designed scenario is being implemented,” Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said in a statement. “Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences.”
Earlier, Russia’s military claimed to have evidence that Britain had “direct involvement” in staging the suspected chemical attack in Syria, a charge quickly condemned as "grotesque" by the UK.
Humanitarian volunteers were “seriously pressured” by the UK to speed up plans for a “provocation” in eastern Ghouta, the Moscow’s defence ministry suggested.
Britain’s ambassador to the UN condemned the “blatant lie” as “the worst piece of fake news we’ve yet seen from the Russian propaganda machine”.
Later, a spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: “These accusations from Moscow are just the latest in a number of ludicrous allegations from Russia, who have also said that no attack ever happened.
“This simply shows their desperation to pin the blame on anyone but their client: the [President Bashar] Assad regime
It comes as Russia and the United States traded fresh blows during the latest round of talks at the UN Security Council and amid warnings that the world is at risk of “full-blown military escalation”.
The US has said it has a “very high level of confidence” that the government of President Assad was behind the apparent chemical attack.
The State Department said the United States has proof at “a very high level of confidence” that the Syrian government of Mr Assad carried out the attack but is still working to identify the mix of chemicals used.
“Syria is responsible. We are all in agreement,” department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.
In the UK, as Prime Minister Theresa May worked on a response to the Syria attack, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, accused the government of “waiting for instructions” from the United States and said military intervention risks “escalating an already devastating conflict”.
Mr Corbyn said: “Further UK military intervention in Syria’s appalling multi-sided war risks escalating an already devastating conflict.
Jeremy Corbyn condemns Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Syria: ‘More war will not save life’
“The Government appears to be waiting for instructions from President Donald Trump on how to proceed. But the US administration is giving alarmingly contradictory signals.
“Even US defence secretary James Mattis has said we ‘don’t have evidence’ and warned further military action could ‘escalate out of control’.”
The guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook is reportedly sailing towards Syria. The Arleigh Burke-class warship carries on board some 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles (EPA)
Mr Mattis has warned an attack carried the risk of spinning out of control, suggesting caution ahead of a decision on how to respond to the situation.
The White House has said it was still assessing the evidence surrounding the suspected chemical weapons attack after its security council meeting on Thursday.
However, although Mr Mattis noted military action carried risks, he also emphasised the use of chemical weapons by Syria should not be tolerated.
The US, France and Britain have been in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week.
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said they had “proof” the Syrian regime launched chlorine gas attacks and said his country would not tolerate “regimes that think everything is permitted.”
Emmanual Macron says France has proof the Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons in Syria
Ms May has described the attack on Douma as a “shocking and barbaric act” which represented a further erosion of international law.
“Cabinet agreed that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday’s attack,” it said.
“Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged.
“Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.”
The statement made no reference to whether Parliament would be given a say on military action – prompting renewed concerns among opposition parties and some Tory MPs Ms May is prepared to go ahead without a Commons vote.
Mr Corbyn insisted MPs were entitled to a vote, saying Parliament “must be consulted”.
A medical worker giving a toddler oxygen through respirators following a suspected poison gas attack in the opposition-held town of Douma (Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets via AP)
Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow international development secretary unexpectedly backed intervention and suggested Mr Corbyn should stop making statements on foreign policy and instead leave the job to his shadow ministers.
Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said he “cannot exclude” war between the US and Russia. He urged Washington and its allies to refrain from military action against Syria, saying the immediate priority was to “avert the danger of war.”
A team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is due to start its investigation in Syria on Saturday.
On Friday campaigners from the Stop the War Coalition will hand a letter signed by MPs, trade unionists, celebrities and academics to Downing Street urging Ms May to not take military action in Syria.
Additional reporting by agencies
Sergei Loznitsa is enjoying a rare day off, ahead of the last day of shooting of his new feature, about the war between Ukraine and Russia. His hotel room in the provincial town of Krivoy Rog is decorated wall to wall with pictures, storylines and notes.
Filming has been a challenge, the Ukrainian director says, not least because of Ukraine’s lousy transport network. “The roads are very bad. You never understand this when you live in Europe,” he says.
Loznitza hasn’t been to Russia since 2014, just before the momentous events depicted in his epic documentary Maidan. Months of anti-government protests in Ukraine culminated with security forces opening fire on demonstrators, killing 100 of them. The country’s then president, Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia. Vladimir Putin responded by annexing Crimea, and kickstarting a bloody conflict in the eastern Donbas region.
The war continues, and has claimed more than 10,000 lives. “This is most painful. Two similar close people, Slavic people, have been fighting each other for three years. A lot of relationships are broken,” Loznitsa says.
Sergei Loznitsa, director of Maidan, My Joy, In the Fog and A Gentle Creature
Before his war movie on Ukraine and Russia’s recent past comes the release of Loznitsa’s latest drama, A Gentle Creature, which explores Russia’s bleak present. The story is simple. A woman whose husband is in jail for murder receives back from the authorities a package she has sent him. There is no explanation. It’s unclear whether something has befallen him, and his fate is never resolved.
The unnamed woman – played with glum radiance by the Russian actor Vasilina Makovtseva – sets off on an odyssey to find him. She travels to the grim prison town where he is – or perhaps was? – locked up. Her journey takes her into a world of hopelessness and indifference, populated by predatory cops, local gangsters, petty prison bureaucrats and well-meaning but ineffectual human rights workers.
Her odyssey is by bus, train, Lada taxi and foot. It is a descent into hell. As one character she meets puts it: “Man is a wolf to man.” There is drunkenness, exploitation, casual violence. Those protagonists not behind bars are in some way prisoners, too. One conversation goes: “Don’t shout at the woman. She’s upset.” To which a passerby replies: “We are all upset.”
Is there anything redemptive here? “That’s a bit like asking Dante if he met someone human in hell, on some level of hell,” Loznitsa replies. “Yes, they are all human. But they made wrong decisions.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Breathtaking cinematography … A Gentle Creature.
The cinematography by Oleg Mutu is breathtaking, with luminous sequences showing the woman’s rural village home and the grimy reality of Soviet-era architecture and municipal waiting rooms. Loznitsa shot the film in 2016 in south-eastern Latvia, in a region close to the Lithuania and Belarus borders and not far from Russia. It was easier to produce in the European Union than in Siberia, Loznitsa says, where the prison is notionally located.
Loznitsa’s inspiration for A Gentle Creature is a short story of the same name written by Dostoevsky in the mid-1870s. It features a middle-aged pawnbroker who makes a poor teenage girl his bride, then uses his power to break her spirit and soul. She ends up killing herself. Dostoevsky is Russia’s most important writer, Loznitsa says, whose themes of humiliation, alienation and moral pessimism resonate today.
As Loznitsa sees it, Russian history is one of “copy paste”. A system of what he calls “crime brain and crime mentality” is endlessly repeated. To a large extent, he thinks, Russians collaborate in their own oppression. He acknowledges that there have been moments where citizens have tried to swap autocracy for democracy – in 1917 and 1991, for example – but says that these attempts at creating another culture all failed. “It’s very difficult to change the mentality of a whole nation. The big question is how to educate people who don’t want to be educated,” he says.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Watch the trailer for A Gentle Creature
Meanwhile, Europe’s response to dark events – the seizing of Ukrainian territory, the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, flight MH17, the murder of Alexander Litvinenko – has been weak and disappointing. “We don’t have a politician like Churchill, who takes responsibility and acts. It’s a pity,” he says.
Recent Kremlin aggression has nudged Loznitsa into public politics. Together with the directors Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Wim Wenders, Loznitsa condemned the arrest and imprisonment of his fellow Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov. In 2015, a Russian court sentenced Sentsov to 20 years in jail, convicting him of plotting terrorist acts in Crimea. Sentsov denies the charge. His case has been widely compared to a Stalin-era show trial.
The 11 actors who appear in A Gentle Creature know each other and come from a talented group based at the main theatre in Yekaterinburg in the Urals. Makovtseva, he says, is a star and famous inside Russia. “My job on set was easy. I just had to say ‘louder’. It was a great pleasure to work with good actors,” he says. The film has been screened in Moscow, on a small scale, and got a positive reception. (By contrast, Loznitsa’s Maidan has not yet been shown there.)
Loznitsa’s narrative projects have received critical international acclaim, with A Gentle Creature and his 2012 work In the Fog both nominated for a Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival. In the Fog is an existential movie set in the shadows of the second world war. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described it as “a mysterious, compelling and grim story” about collaboration. Its central character, a railway worker, is accused, wrongly, of working with the Nazis.
The director’s 2010 Cannes-debuting film My Joy has similar themes to A Gentle Creature and a split present day-wartime arc. In it, a long-distance lorry driver crisscrosses the former USSR and meets policemen, underage prostitutes and soldiers. The command “documents” – barked in Russian by a person in state uniform – is inevitably the beginning of something terrible, an unfurling evil that at times can be hard to watch.
A Gentle Creature review - brutally realist drama offers up a pilgrimage of suffering Read more
Predictably, Russia’s patriotic state media accuses Loznitsa of making explicitly “anti-Russian” movies. The director Andrey Zvyagintsev, by contrast, called My Joy the best Russian-language film of the decade.
Loznitsa characterises Ukraine’s post-Soviet upheavals as a continuing revolt against the neighbouring imperium. “People don’t want to be in the USSR again,” he says. “They don’t want to be part of a big empire. They don’t want to follow Kremlin orders.”
Russia’s tragedy, he adds, is that it is doomed to repeat itself. “Hell isn’t when horrible things happen. Hell is when horrible things happen again and again.” Loznitsa acknowledges that this same hell feeds his work and imagination. “Yes, some magic exists in Russia,” he says before heading back to work. “You could say that hell has its attractions.”
• A Gentle Creature is on release.
President Donald Trump had a message for Iran and Russia during an address to the nation, asking "what kind of nation wants to be associated with the mass murder" of innocent people.
The prospect of a confrontation between Russia, the Syrian government's ally, and the West have been running high since Donald Trump said on Wednesday that missiles "will be coming" in response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on April 7. Mr Trump has since tempered those remarks and the White House said no final decisions on possible actions had been taken. But the US President demanded action be taken "fairly soon" as British Prime Minister Theresa May won backing from her senior ministers to take unspecified action with the United States and France to deter further use of chemical weapons. But Russia again warned the West against attacking its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad, who is also supported by Iran - claiming there is no evidence of a chemical attack. And last night, Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Russia "cannot exclude any possibilities" of nuclear war. Here are all the latest updates and news live on the developing conflict as it happens. All times in GMT.
Saturday, April 14 5.24am: Syria say they 'absorbed' airstrikes The Syrian government has bragged the US, UK and French airstrikes launched overnight had little impact after Russia gave the Assad regime advanced warning of the attack. They told Reuters: “We have absorbed the strike. “We had an early warning of the strike from the Russians and all military bases were evacuated a few days ago.” 4.50am: Russia react to Trump's announcement Russia's Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov said on Twitter: "Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences." "Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible." 3.57am: Airstrikes fall on Syria Images have emerged of airstrikes hitting the Syrian capital of Damascus. At least six loud explosions were heard and smoke was seen rising over the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a scientific research centre and military bases in Damascus were struck, as were the Syrian army’s Republican Guard and 4th Division, elite units of the Syrian military.
AFP The capital city of Damascus has been hit in airstrikes
3:20am: Emmanuel Macron statement French president Emmanuel Macron said there was no doubt the Syrian regime was responsible for the chemical attack in Douma. He said: "We cannot tolerate the trivialisation of the use of chemical weapons, which represent an immediate danger for the Syrian people and for our collective security. "The red line set by France in May 2017 has been crossed." 3.00am: Counter-terrorism police deployed The New York Police Department have deployed counter-terrorism police across the city following the airstrikes on Syria. In a statement they said: "The NYPD is working with our intelligence bureau liaisons stationed abroad as well as out federal partners, and closely monitoring the US military action in Syria. "There is no nexus to News York City, nor are there any credible threats to New York City, at this time. "Countertenor officers have been deployed in and around the City out of an abundance of caution." 2.31am: Theresa May releases a statement Theresa May has released a statement following Trump's announcement, giving the UK's full backing to airstrikes. She said: "This is the first time as Prime Minister that I have had to take the decision to commit our armed forces in combat - and it is not a decision I have taken lightly. "I have done so because I judge this action to be in Britain's national interest. "We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised - within Syria, on the streets of the UK, or anywhere else in our world." 2.18am: Trump's blunt message to Iran and Russia Speaking directly to Iran and Russia during his announcement, Donald Trump accused Syria's backers of being "associated with mass murder". Both Iran and Russia have supported President Assad's regime since the outbreak of the war in in Middle East country. In his address Trump said: "To Iran and to Russia I ask, what kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?" 2.14am: President Assad 'a monster' Announcing military action in Syria, the US President accused President Assad of being "a monster". Refering to last week's chemical weapon attack he said: "These are not the actions of a man, they are the crimes of a monster instead." 2.11am: Donald Trump anounces airstrikes In a major announcement from the White House, Donald Trump declared he ahs officially ordered airstrikes on Syria. Reporters rushed to the White House after a press breifing was called unexpectedly. Military action between the US, UK and France has been expected for several days.
GETTY Donald Trump has announced US military intervention in Syria
Friday, April 13 Reporting by Kat Hopps 9.20pm: Syria staged the Douma attack, reiterates White House The White House says it has “very high confidence” that Syria staged the Douma attack. Responding to questions about Russia’s claim the attack was faked, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "Our intelligence tells use otherwise. I can't go beyond that.” She added: "We have a very high confidence that Syria was responsible," saying Russia's failure to stop Syria has been "part of the problem”. 8.05pm: UN chief says Cold War is ‘back with a vengeance’ The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the Cold War is "back with a vengeance". Speaking to the UN Security Council, Mr Guterres also warned the current situation in Syria poses a threat to global security. 6.42pm: Foreign Office says it is 'ludicrous' that Britain was behind Douma attack
The Foreign Office had said accusations made by Moscow that Britain directed the attack on Douma were "ludicrous". A spokesman said: "Russia has wielded its UNSC veto six times since February 2017 to shield the Assad regime from scrutiny for its use of chemical weapons. "These accusations from Moscow are just the latest in a number of ludicrous allegations from Russia, who have also said that no attack ever happened. "This simply shows their desperation to pin the blame on anyone but their client: the Assad regime. "The chemical weapons attack in Douma last Saturday was a shocking and barbaric act that cost up to 75 lives including young children." 5.49pm: British US Ambassador refutes Russian allegations that Britain staged suspected chemical attack
British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce has denied Russia’s claims that Britain had ‘direct involvement’ in staging the alleged Syria chemical attack Ms Pierce told reporters: ”This is grotesque, it is a blatant lie, it is the worst piece of fake news we've yet seen from the Russian propaganda machine." Elsewhere, the United Nations war crimes investigators condemned the suspected use of chemical weapons in Douma, calling for the preservation of evidence to secure future prosecutions. In a statement, the UN international commission of inquiry on Syria said: “Perpetrators of such attacks must be identified and held accountable. “We stress the imperative need to preserve evidence, and call upon all relevant authorities to ensure no party tampers with suspected sites, objects, witnesses, or victims before independent monitors and investigators are able to access the area.”
Vadim Savitsky/TASS Russia vs USA war live updates: Major-General Igor Konashenkov gives a media briefing about Syria
4.33pm: EU may implement fresh sanctions on Syria The European Union is considering imposing fresh sanctions on Syria including blacklisting more people over the use and development of chemical arms, according to its foreign ministers. Officials will meet on Monday to discuss the issue of western military intervention in Syria following the alleged chemical attack by President Assad’s forces. Senior EU representatives said today that “evidence clearly points to the Syrian regime” being involved in the attack in Douma, which killed up to 75 people. 4.20pm: Russan UN Ambassador says western powers want to 'oust' President Assad Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council today that the US, France and Britain were interested in ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and containing Russia. He said: "We continue to observe dangerous military preparations for an illegal act of force against a sovereign state in what would constitute a breach of international law. "We call on the leadership of these states to immediately reconsider." "The sole thing they have an interest in is to oust the Syrian government and more broadly to contain the Russian Federation.” 4.15pm: Kat Hopps takes over live reporting 2.53pm Russia claims it has 'irrefutable' evidence that foreign actors staged the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian city of Douma, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Mr Lavrov said in a press conference on Friday: “We have irrefutable evidence that this was yet another performance and that security services of a country which is trying to be in the frontlines of the Russophobic campaign were involved in this performance.” He announced that Russian experts had examined the site of the alleged attack in the city, and found no trace of chemical weapons. But Mr Lavrov failed to mention the country he alleges is spearheading a Russo-phobic campaign with the “fabrication”. 2.30pm update: Russia - UK is deliberately destroying evidence Russia has accused the UK of “deliberately destroying all possible evidence” so Moscow can not independently investigate the Salisbury attack incident. The UK accused Russia of being responsible for the nerve-agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, and his daughter last month. Russia has repeatedly denied being behind the Salisbury attack and today London ambassador Alexander Yakovenko accused the UK of destroying evidence to the incident. He said: “We get the impression the British Government is deliberately pursuing the policy of destroying all possible evidence. 1.38pm update: Russia says no proof has been presented that there was a chemical attack in Syria In a press conference on Friday, Russia's UK Ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko said: "Syrian authorities were immediately blamed for the so-called attack, no proof was presented and no questions were asked. "I think the conclusions were based on social media. Russian services for security visited the incident and didn’t find any kind of substances there, no traces of chemical poisoning were found in local hospitals. "We are interested in meeting experts there to carry out necessary tests. He added: "At the request of the Syrian government, OPCW experts will be on ground tomorrow. "We would like them to visit the place of the alleged incident and take samples, not just studying social media images and stories." 12.39pm update: The Russian Embassy in the UK says it is "concerned about the decision of the Cabinet to "take action" It added: The preparations are being made despite lack of evidence as regards to what happened on the ground in British interpretation. At the request of the Syrian Government the OPCW sent a fact-finding team to Douma. The experts will arrive tomorrow. "Syrian authorities will provide all the relevant security guarantees. Russia is ready to assist in ensuring its safety. We are interested in seeing independent experts there, so they can make all the necessary tests without delay. "The conditions on the ground, now that the Russian military police is present in Douma, are appropriate for conducting investigation of the alleged incident. "Russian services for chemical and radiological security visited the suspected site of the incident and did not find any traces of chemical substances. No persons treated for chemical poisoning were found in local hospitals." 11.47am update: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday he hoped that there would be no repeat of the experience of Libya and Iraq in the Syria conflict "God forbid anything adventurous will be done in Syria following the Libyan and Iraqi experience," Lavrov told a news conference on Friday. He said that even the smallest miscalculation in Syria could lead to new waves of migrants and that ultimatums and threats do not help the dialogue. Russia and the United States are using their channels of communications on Syria, according to the minister.
PA Russia's Ambassador to Britain, Alexander Yakovenko
REUTERS Russian ambassador in the UK denied Russia involvement
11.22am update: Russia considers launching restrictions or even bans on USA goods Russia's lower house of parliament is to consider draft legislation that would give the Kremlin powers to ban or restrict a list of US imports, reacting to new U.S. sanctions on a group of Russian tycoons and officials. Senior lawmakers in the State Duma, which is dominated by Kremlin loyalists, said they had prepared the list ranging from food and alcohol to medicine and consulting services in response to Washington's move last week. The Kremlin itself has not said if it backs the draft legislation - which would allow the government to impose the measures should the need arise - and it was not clear if would it become law in its current form. The Russian parliament is often used to send assertive messages to foreign states, but these do not always translate into concrete measures. 10.58am update: German foreign ministry issues statement to allies A German foreign ministry spokeswoman says the world must assume that not all chemical weapons in Syria were destroyed. Germany agrees with allies that use of chemical weapons must have consequences. International chemical weapons experts were travelling to Syria to investigate an alleged gas attack by government forces on the town of Douma which killed dozens of people. The allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were eager today to lay blame for the crisis not with him but with Trump. 10.54am update: Dramatic images show Russian soldiers taking part in live firing exercises today
Troops from the Russian Baltic Fleet's engineering unit have been testing new equipment as World War 3 tensions continue to ramp up. The dramatic images show soldiers firing rifles, while others show a Kobra-1600M sapper robotic complex testing for explosive devices. The drills are being held in Kaliningrad, but have sparked fears the former Soviet state could be preparing for a major war. 10.09am update: Russia has moved ships out of Syria ports and are re-grouping Satellite images have emerged of Russian warships appearing to move away from key naval bases in Syria as the USA forces amass in nearby waters. Overhead Images show how at least 11 navy vessels, including the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, appear to have left the Tartus military port on the Syrian coast. A picture, said to have been taken on Wednesday, shows how only a kilo-class submarine remains in the port, which is understood to be protected by Moscow's fearsome S-300 and S-400 missile defence systems.
TASS Russia vs USA: Russia firing drills have taken place in Kalingrad
IPS Satellite pictures have emerged of Russia ships moving out of Syria ports
9.20am update: Russia warned the US that launching air strikes in response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria could spark a war "The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday. He accused Washington of putting international peace at risk and said the situation was "very dangerous". Western powers are thought to be preparing for strikes but Russia, a Syrian ally, opposes such action. "We cannot exclude any possibilities, unfortunately," Mr Nebenzia told reporters after a private meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. 8.27am update: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich lashed out at Donald Trump Dvorkovich said that international relations should not depend on the mood of one person when he wakes up in the morning, in reference to US President Donald Trump's tweets, RIA news agency reported on Friday. Dvorkovich, speaking at a forum in Krasnoyarsk, said that Russia was not prepared for such risks. The US President in a series of tweets on Wednesday said: “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'! "You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. "There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"
GETTY Russia v USA: Putin and Trump remain at loggerheads
REUTERS USA vs Russia war: Putin observes the exposition of missiles yesterday
8.25am update: President Donald Trump and his national security aides discuss options in White House meeting
Trump, after he met his national security team, said "no final decision has been made," the White House said in a statement despite Trump having threatened missile strikes in response to a suspected poison gas attack, as a Russian envoy voiced fears of wider conflict between Washington and Moscow. "We are continuing to assess intelligence and are engaged in conversations with our partners and allies," it said. That did not necessarily signal, however, that Trump was cooling to the idea of military action, especially given the high stakes in Syria. US officials noted that Washington was still assessing intelligence and coordinating allies. 7.47am update: US concerned Syria military strike will escalate 'out of control' James Mattis, the US defense secretary has said that the situation with Syria could quickly escalate "out of control". He said Washington is still looking for evidence on who carried out Saturday’s chemical weapons attack in Damascus and that his main concern about a military response was how to stop it “escalating out of control”. Donald Trump has consulted his top national security advisers on a US response but White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said yesterday “no final decision has been taken”.
REUTERS Russia: Russian flag is seen on a military vehicle at the entrance of the Wafideen camp in Damascus
EPA US Navy showing the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook is in Syria waters
6.30am update: US is tracking military movements of Russia and Syria The Institute for the Study of War is tracking military movements of Russia and Syria in recent days. In its latest summary: "Two Russian Su-24M ‘Fencer’ attack aircraft conducted several low-altitude passes in close proximity to the USS Donald Cook and the French frigate Aquitaine in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on April 11. The Russian Navy conducted a firing drilloff the Syrian coast in a likely attempt to deter USA and allied naval maneuvers near Syria on April 11. "Russia reportedly deployed four Tu-95MS ‘Bear’ and Tu-160M ‘Blackjack’ strategic bombers as well as an unspecified number of Il-78M tanker aircraft from the Engels Air Base in Southern Russia. Their final destination is unknown although they may be bound for Syria or theHamedan Air Basein Western Iran.Russia previously targeted locations in Eastern Syria from the Engels Air Base. "Russian and regime forces enhanced the air defenses around Syria’s capital, Damascus, where the regime conducted its chemical weapons attack on April 7. Pro-regime forces deployed short- to medium-range surface-to-air missiles, including six Russian Pantsir-S2s, to theMezzeh Military Air Baseand other sites in Damascus. "Pro-regime officials also reportedly issued an alert to the Syrian Arab Army to evacuate personnel and assets from military bases across Syria."
