"Russian reports of a US military buildup in the Eastern Med are nothing more than propaganda. It's not true," Pahon said on Monday. "That does not mean, however, that we are unprepared to respond should the President direct such an action."
Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that the United States keeps building up a group of cruise missile carriers in the Middle East in order to react to the next staged chemical weapons attack in Syria.
On Saturday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said that militants in Syria were preparing a provocation to accuse Damascus of using chemical weapons against civilians in the province of Idlib. On Sunday, Konshenkov said the provocation was planned within the next two days in the settlement of Kafr Zita with the assistance of English-speaking specialists. USS Sullivan with 56 cruise missiles on board and US Air Force B-1B strategic bomber with 24 cruise missiles were both redeployed closer to the region several days ago.
READ MORE: US Military Pilots in Mideast Increasingly Attacked by Lasers – Pentagon
