Defense Ministry confirmed the death of Russian soldiers in Syria – BBC Russian

Image copyright RIA Novosti

Image caption The Su-25 at the air base, “Hmeymim” in Syria, where he served contractor

Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the death of a Russian soldier who served under the contract in the territory of the airbase “Hmeymim” in Syria, where based Russian aviation.

“contract servicemen, who served at the air base,” Hmeymim “as a technician committed suicide during rest after duty” – the ministry said.

The name of the deceased in the message is not specified. According to preliminary data of the Ministry, the reason for the suicide could be a “disorder in a personal relationship with a girl”.

Earlier Monday Information Group Conflict Intelligence Team, based social activist Ruslan Leviev, published an article about the death on 24 October in Syria Russian soldier.

colleague of the soldier confirmed the BBC BBC his death, saying that a funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. He noted that in the private life of a soldier was all good, and he was going to get married.

The parents of a dead serviceman in an interview with Reuters said they did not believe in the suicide theory. According to the mother, the day of death, they talked on the phone, and the son “was happy and laughing.” Soldier’s father said that he would never have gone to commit suicide.

As stated in the material Conflict Intelligence Team, a soldier born in 1996 died on October 24 at the territory of Syria.

Conflict Intelligence Team ( CIT) suggests referring to the social networks that after the passage of military service in the army this summer, he almost immediately went to serve under contract in Russia videoconferencing. From his public profile is known, that he as the aircraft technician traveled in Syria, according to a team Leviev.

According to the social networks, published by CIT, in Syria contractor served 960th Attack Aviation Regiment of the 1st Guards Mixed Air Division . Two months before his death, he published a picture in the form of military space forces. The base in Latakia is located far from the front line, and it is highly unlikely that the soldier was directly involved in the fighting.

A friend of the deceased in the comments on your wall explained that he had “died in the performance of military duties in Syria.”

The team Leviev information was confirmed by a friend soldier. “First, he said that he hanged himself. Then he – that he was hanged and shot. The final version – was found dead” – she pointed out in correspondence with Leviev.

“With the most important part came. [...] directly said that he was in a zinc coffin “- continues the girlfriend of a soldier in correspondence with Leviev.

Russia does airstrikes on targets in Syria since the end of September. Moscow argued that the bomb only the position of the extremist organization “Islamic State” whose activity is prohibited in Russia.

In the West believe that much of the shock is applied at a moderate armed opposition and their true purpose – preservation mode the current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow denies the charges.