"Russia's Foreign Ministry expresses serious concern in connection with the movement of the Syrian troops and paramilitary formations of the Syrian opposition, supported by them, inside Syrian territory," the ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
"We are paying attention to the fact that these actions are being conducted without coordination with the legitimate Syrian authorities and without approval on the part of the UN Security Council," it said.
"This puts in question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic," the statement said.
"With account for that, the position of Damascus appears fair and justified from the international-legal viewpoint," it said.
"We are proceeding from the fact that Turkey's actions may additionally complicate the already difficult military-political situation in Syria, negatively affect the international efforts to develop a platform of settlement ensuring a more stable nature of the regime of cessation of hostilities, uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid laying the foundation for a solid peace and helping overcome the crisis in that country," the ministry said.
Moscow called on Ankara to "place these tasks higher that the immediate military tactical goals and abstain from steps fraught with further destabilization of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic."
Turkey's Armed Forces and the FSA currently control the 90-kilometer line along the border between the cities of Azaz and Jarabulus up to 4-5 kilometers deep. But the operation command's plans include expansion of the zone liberated from the IS further to the south. "