Russia calls chemical attack in Syria a ‘fabrication’

Russian officials are suggesting that an apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria was a “fabrication” staged by an unnamed foreign intelligence agency.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow has “irrefutable information that it was another fabrication,” after inspection by Russian chemical experts, according to The Associated Press. 

Lavrov did not offer any evidence, however, to back up his claim. 

The Saturday attack targeted a hospital in the Duoma region, near the capital of Damascus, which killed 40 people and injured hundreds of others. 

Russia’s Foreign Ministry claims that no evidence of chemicals or deaths in the bombing area were found in its inspection. 

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The minister said “intelligence agencies of a state that is now striving to spearhead a Russo-phobic campaign were involved in that fabrication.” 

Multiple Russian officials have also declared that photos of the carnage and victims in the capital’s suburbs were also fakes, according to The AP. 

Russia’s denial of the attack comes as Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is set to study the area for evidence. Both the Syrian and Russian governments have said they would support the study.

U.S. officials suspect the Russia-backed government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is behind the attack. 

Trump administration officials told The Associated Press in February they believed forces loyal to Assad might have been in the process of working on new or more refined chemical weapons.

U.S. security officials immediately called for international action to intervene in the situation after the chemical attack Saturday, and President Trump has threatened a possible military strike against the government forces. 

Lavrov warned against U.S. military “adventures” in the country, but signaled that Russia remains open for negotiations. 

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said this week that Russia “ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal attacks,” which the Syrian government has also denied.