Russia denies striking Syria school amid growing Western pressure
Moscow on Thursday described as "lies" claims that it was involved in air strikes that hit a school complex in Idlib, after the US government blamed the Syrian government and Russia for the attack.
"The Russian Federation has nothing to do with this terrible tragedy, with this attack," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding that Moscow demanded an immediate investigation.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also demanded an immediate probe into Wednesday's attack on the school in rebel-held Idlib province, which killed at least 35 people including 22 children, according to rescue workers.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, "warplanes - either Russian or Syrian - had carried out six strikes" in the village of Hass, including a strike on a school complex.
The White House said on Thursday that either the Syrian government or Russia was responsible for the deadly air strike.
"We don't know yet that it was the Assad regime or the Russians that carried out the air strike, but we know it was one of the two," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
"Even if it was the Assad regime that carried it out, the Assad regime is only in a position to carry out those kind of attacks because they are supported by the Russian government."
‘Nest of terrorists’
Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that Syrian and Russian warplanes had not bombed Aleppo in the past nine days.
A ceasefire meant to allow civilians and armed combatants to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo ended at the weekend, with Moscow on Monday ruling out an extension of the unilateral measure for the time being.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was showing restraint in Syria, but might lose patience and respond in some way to unspecified actions.
"We... don't respond to our partners in such a rude way. But everything has its limits. We may respond," Putin told an audience a the Valdai Discussion Club meeting of political scientists in Sochi on Thursday.
He made the comments after accusing the US-led coalition of violating a ceasefire agreement by bombing Syrian government forces in September.
He also said that Russia had no other option but to clear out what he called "a nest of terrorists" from Syria's Aleppo despite the fact that civilians were also present in the city.
Putin said civilian casualties in conflicts should be mourned everywhere, not just in Aleppo, pointing to what he said were civilians killed around Mosul in Iraq.
"Bells should toll for all innocent victims. Not just in Aleppo," said Putin.
He added that Russia had no plans to intervene militarily in the Middle East beyond Syria.
Asked whether Russia might intervene in Iraq and Libya in the same way as it had in Syria, Putin told a forum in southern Russia: "No, we don't plan this anywhere."
Fresh EU sanctions
The European Union on Thursday added 10 top Syrian officials to its sanctions blacklist for the role in the "violent repression" of the civilian population.
"The persons... include high-ranking military officials and senior figures linked to the regime," it said in a statement.
EU leaders agreed last week to increase sanctions against Assad's government, citing devastating attacks on Aleppo, Syria's second city and pre-war commercial hub.
Suggestions they might also sanction Russia, which has flown many of the missions against rebel-held east Aleppo, were dropped after sharp differences emerged.
The name of the 10 officials targeted on Thursday were to be released at a later date.
UN report on chemical weapons attack
Meanwhile, Russia on Thursday dismissed as "unconvincing" the findings of a UN-led investigation showing that Syrian forces had carried out three chemical attacks and said no sanctions should be imposed.
"We believe that the proof is not there for any punitive action to be taken. It's simply not there," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters following a closed-door Security Council meeting.
The joint United Nations-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel has concluded that government forces carried out three chemical attacks on villages in 2014 and 2015.
It was the first time an international probe pointed the finger of blame at President Bashar al-Assad's forces after years of denial from Damascus.
Churkin told the council that the findings were not strong enough to trigger sanctions.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.