"We are ready for any possible situation that Syria may face. Our army is prepared, as well as air defense forces, we are ready to repel any attack in order to preserve the sovereignty on our territory and to protect our people," the ambassador said to Sputnik.
"[The attacks are aimed] first of all, at influencing international public opinion and encourage the powers supporting the militants to attack them, as was done earlier in Khan Shaykhun," he stressed.
READ MORE: 3 Attempts to Use Chemical Weapons in Syria Prevented Last Week — Russian MoD
"These were missile strikes carried out without any evidence, any confirmation of who had used the chemical weapons," he added, saying there was more evidence that the militants were behind the attack.
![A victim of a suspected chemical attack as he receives treatment at a makeshift hospital, in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib province, Syria. File photo A victim of a suspected chemical attack as he receives treatment at a makeshift hospital, in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib province, Syria. File photo - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105232/91/1052329124_456:0:2809:1875_600x0_80_0_0_ebb7d123e0ea21085726df9f6915565e.jpg)
In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow believes that Washington's threats to strike Damascus are unacceptable.
Damascus has strongly denied the accusations of involvement in the alleged chemical attacks in the country, stressing that the UN-backed Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had confirmed that it eliminated all chemical weapons in 2016.