Russia admits ‘several dozen’ of its citizens were mercenaries killed in assault on US-held Syrian base

Reading Time:1 minute

After initially denying that Russian citizens were among the mercenaries killed in an attack on a US-held base last week, the Kremlin has admitted that the fighters were indeed Russians - though they were not there officially, it said. Picture shows a regime air strike on the rebel-held town of Hamouria, Eastern Ghouta. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:18am, 21 Feb 2018Updated: 5:20am, 21 Feb 2018

The Russian foreign ministry has admitted that “several dozen” citizens of Russia and other former Soviet states were killed or wounded during a recent battle in Syria.

The announcement came soon after reports that scores of Russian mercenaries fighting alongside pro-Syrian regime forces were killed by a US-led coalition air strike in Deir Ezzor, in eastern Syria, on 7 February. Moscow dismissed those reports last week as “classic disinformation”.

The Russian foreign ministry stressed on Tuesday that the combatants were not Russian servicemen and that no Russian military equipment was involved in the fighting.

It gave no date or location for the clash, but said the wounded Russian citizens had received help to return home and were receiving medical treatment.

The ministry said the fighters had travelled to Syria “of their own accord and for a variety of reasons”. It did not identify any of the dead or wounded by name.

A giant poster of President Bashar al-Assad is seen at the entrance of a hospital in Damascus, capital of Syria, on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

“It is not the place of the foreign ministry to assess the legality and legitimacy of their decisions,” it added.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x