UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The EU bloc of the Security Council on Thursday expressed deep concern about the escalating military action by Syria and Russia in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.

The bloc, known as EU8, comprises eight countries: France, Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Belgium, Germany and Italy. The first five are incumbent Security Council members, the following two are upcoming members, and Italy shares a seat with the Netherlands in the chamber.

"The conflict in Syria has already caused unspeakable suffering to millions of people forced to live under siege or to leave that country," said Swedish UN envoy Olof Skoog, in capacity as briefer for the bloc for the month of September.

He feared such a military action would cause "catastrophic humanitarian consequences for civilians," including risking more than three million civilians' lives and leading to renewed mass displacement.