At least 383 people were killed on Saturday as an envoy to Syria urged both sides to negotiate. (Creative Commons)

The statement came on what could be the deadliest day since the Syrian conflict began 21 months ago, as at least 383 people were killed Saturday, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees. An LCC spokesman said the toll includes 201 people who were executed in Deir Balbah, outside Homs, after Syrian forces won a battle there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy, held a meeting aimed to get both sides to negotiate, according to Reuters. Supporters of the Syrian revolt are hoping Moscow, President Bashar al-Assad's main arms supplier, would drop its support for the regime.

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They have been searching for signs that Moscow, an ally of Syria since Assad's father seized power 42 years ago, is changing its stance - so far mostly in vain.

After meeting Brahimi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov firmly repeated Moscow's position that Assad's removal cannot be a precondition for negotiations, calling the Syrian opposition's refusal to talk to Damascus a "dead end".

"When the opposition says only Assad's exit will allow it to begin a dialogue about the future of its own country, we think this is wrong, we think this is rather counterproductive," he said. "The costs of this precondition are more and more lives of Syrian citizens."

Russia has continued to be strongly against foreign intervention, but the rising casualty count has the nation willing to explore options for a political transition in Damascus. More than 40,000 people have died since the start of the uprising.

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