On April 8, 2018, the United States military and European allies coordinated missile strikes against Syrian research, storage and military facilities as President Trump sought to punish Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for a suspected chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed more than 40 civilians, the majority of said victims being Syrian civilians.

France and Great Britain joined the United States in these attacks in an effort to show consolidated Western resolve against what the leaders of these three nations call persistent violations of international law. President Trump stated that these attacks were the beginning of a joint venture to force President Assad to cease the use of banned weapons.

These strikes were met with an immediate warning from the Russian Ambassador to the U.S., warning the U.S. of “consequences” for the attacks upon Syria, who is an ally of Russia.

The strike targeted three of President Assad’s chemical weapons facilities: a scientific research center in Damascus and two other chemical weapons facilities west of the Homs.

Russia responded to these attacks with a stern warning. “We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences,” Anatoly Antonov, the ambassador to the United States, said. “All responsibility for them rests with Washington, London, and Paris.”

It remains to be seen as to whether these attacks will lead to any retaliation on Syria and Russia’s part.

All information in this article is from released documentation and statements from the United States’ military.