While speaking on the Syrian crisis, she stressed that unilateral formats cannot help solve the conflict:
"We have talked about the need to use the full potential of leading regional and international players, all parties that one way or the other are involved and may make a positive, constructive contribution."
"We are convinced that this approach, rather than some one-sided formats such as the Friends of Syria group, may bring peace and tranquility for a new, united, secular, and democratic Syria," Zakharova told reporters.
Moscow is outraged by the release of unsubstantiated reports on civilian casualties of Russian airstrikes in Syria, Zakharova stressed.
"[We are] outraged by the fact that false materials about alleged civilian casualties in Syria as a result of Russia's airstrikes are reproduced in the report of the UN Secretary-General on the humanitarian situation in Syria with reference to the UN Office for Human Rights," she said. "Such insinuations <…> have nothing to do with reality."
According to her, Moscow regards it as "part of a propaganda campaign."
"Prior to this briefing, the US Embassy in Moscow sent a press release saying that Russian airstrikes in Syria target opposition figures and civil facilities instead of terrorists. They again use information from a UK-based watchdog. Why do they refer to unnamed sources or sources which can in no way be credible?" she said.
"We received no official information on that. Such propaganda leaflets are released prior to important events," Zakharova went on to say referring to Friday's Vienna meeting on Syria.
The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman encouraged international journalists and diplomats to use information from official Defense Ministry briefings.
“Let me remind you that the [Russian] Defense Ministry not too long ago invited the representatives of the military attache and asked where and from which sources they get this information that Russia is not operating against the right targets and as a result, civilians are dying. We have been given no official information whatsoever,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova also discussed the recent local elections in Ukraine which, according to her, were far from reaching accepted objectivity standards and failed to remove the split in Ukrainian society.
“It can hardly be said they [the Ukrainian elections] correspond to standards of objectivity and serve as an example of democracy,” Zakharova said.
“Unfortunately, the current campaign, just like last year’s elections of the president and the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada [parliament], again did not provide for the removal of a considerably deep split in the Ukrainian society,” she added.
"Work will continue to find solutions to practical issues of the Ukraine settlement, including in light of agreements reached at the October 2 Normandy Quartet summit in Paris. The possibility of conveying a Normandy format meeting at the level of foreign minister is currently being discussed and worked out. We are talking about next week," she told reporters.
Zakharova also discussed the issue of Latvia's denial of registration to Rossiya Segodnya international news agency, saying is was clearly politicized.
"The rejection of Rossiya Segodnya's appeal, based on clearly politicized and false pretenses, is, you can say, the logical continuation of Riga's line to eradicate dissent and gain full control over the media in this country," she told reporters.
The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added that Russia "expects that this approach, which has nothing to do with Latvian authorities' declared commitment to uphold the freedom of speech… should finally get a proper response from relevant international organizations."
First and foremost, the issue should be addressed by OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic, Zakharova said.
