Russia Warns U.S. against Targeting Syria Chemical Arsenal as Moscow Sends Warship toward Syria

Russia on Friday warned the United States against targeting Syria's chemical arsenal as Washington considered the use of force against President Bashar Assad's regime.

"With particular concern we perceive the fact that military infrastructure facilities securing the integrity and safety of Syria's chemical arsenal are among the possible targets for military strikes," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"In this respect we warn U.S. authorities and their allies against striking any chemical facilities and adjacent territories," the statement said.

"Such actions would represent a dangerous new turn in the tragic development of the Syria crisis," the ministry said, warning that the strikes could prompt the release of highly toxic substances.

"Besides, one cannot rule out that militants and terrorists would gain access to chemical weapons or chemical warfare agents as a result of such a reckless move," the ministry said, expressing concern over the possible spread of chemical weapons further across Syria and beyond its borders.

"The U.S. bombing of Iraq's Al Muthanna chemical storage facility led to a serious contamination of adjacent territory in 1991," the statement said.

"For peaceful residents of Syria and other countries of the region the consequences can be even more severe."

Russia's warning came as world leaders gathered at a summit in Saint Petersburg failed to bridge their divisions over U.S. plans for military action against the Syrian regime in response to a suspected chemical attack on August 21 in the Damascus suburbs.

Russia earlier this week warned that any strikes could also hit a research reactor outside Damascus, dealing a blow to nuclear security.

Earlier on Friday, Interfax news agency reported that a Russian warship carrying "special cargo" will be dispatched toward Syria, as the Kremlin beefs up its presence in the region ahead of possible U.S. strikes against the Damascus regime.

The large landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov will on Friday leave the Ukrainian port city of Sevastopol for the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, from where it will head to Syria's coast, the Interfax quoted a source from the Saint Petersburg-based central naval command as saying.

"The ship will make call in Novorossiisk, where it will take on board special cargo and set off for the designated area of its combat duty in the eastern Mediterranean," the source said.

The source did not specify the nature of the cargo.

Russia has kept a constant presence in the eastern Mediterranean during the Syrian crisis.

In recent days Russia has made steps to beef up its naval grouping in the region.

The Russian destroyer Smetlivy will soon join the group in the region as well as the destroyer Nastoichivy, Interfax has said.

The anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev has already entered its zone of operation as the flagship of the current rotation of the Mediterranean grouping, a military source has told the news agency.

Already in place in the eastern Mediterranean are the frigate Neustrashimy, as well as the landing ships Alexander Shabalin, the Admiral Nevelsky and the Peresvet.

They are expected to be joined by the large landing ships Novocherkassk and Minsk and the missile cruiser Moskva. The reconnaissance ship Priazovye is also on its way to join the group.

The U.S. already has a strong naval presence in the region and any U.S. military action against Syria is widely expected to be launched from the sea.