A member of the leadership council of the “Syrian Front for Liberation,” Mustafa Sejri, said, “Today’s bombing is a Russian insistence on targeting and striking the Syrian national forces, a violation of understandings and agreements, and support for the terrorism of Al-Assad regime and the terrorism of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.”

He added that "the bombing is a clear Russian message to put pressure on Turkey before the Turkish-Russian summit."

In a statement to the opposition Radio “Al-Kul”, Sejari considered that “the bombing is a Russian confirmation that there are no borders or red lines for Russia’s criminality in order to implement its vision and goals in Syria.”

The Russian escalation in Afrin comes ahead of a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, next Wednesday, to discuss the situation in Syria and Idlib.