Russia called on NATO partners not to search for pretexts in order to conduct direct operations in Syria.

Russia called on NATO partners not to search for pretexts in order to conduct direct operations in Syria.

"In our contacts with NATO partners... we call upon them not to search for pretexts to carry out a military scenario or initiatives like humanitarian corridors and buffer zones," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Interfax news agency.

Gatilov also urged Damascus and Ankara to exercise restraint along their flashpoint border.

"We believe that Syrian and Turkish authorities must exercise maximum restrained in this situation, given the growing numbers of radicals in the ranks of Syrian opposition, which may provoke a conflict on the border," Gatilov the Deputy FM added.