A man walks near damage in Kafr Hamra village, northern Aleppo countryside, Syria February 27, 2016.

Russia is concerned about Turkey’s military preparations along its border with Syria and an armed intervention by Ankara would deal an “irreparable blow” to the Syria ceasefire plan, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday.

“Unfortunately, our Turkish colleagues still have not abandoned the idea of cross-border strikes,” Ryabkov told a news briefing.

He also said Syria could become a federal state if that model works in the country.

In the same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday the alliance was concerned by a Russian military build-up in Syria.

“We are concerned about the significant Russian military build up we have seen in Syria with the ground troops, with the naval forces in eastern Mediterranean and with air forces conducting air strikes,” he told a press conference in the Gulf Arab country of Kuwait.

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