All news

Kremlin refuses to release name of Russian military adviser killed in Syria

The military adviser did not take part in the military operation, he taught the Syrian military to use the equipment supplied by Russia

MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. The Kremlin does not give the name of the Russian military adviser killed in Syria, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"No, [we do not give] his name, the Defense Ministry has its own considerations on this matter, so, naturally, we cannot give his name," the Kremlin spokesman said.

When asked about the award for that military adviser, Peskov said, "If the document is not classified, we'll inform you about it." According to him, the military adviser did not take part in the military operation, he taught the Syrian military to use the equipment supplied by Russia.

"They [Russian military advisers] do not take part in military operations, they are just consultants," he said, adding that the Russian Defense Ministry had provided its own explanations on the issue. "We are talking specifically about consultants, this is connected with the training of Syrian colleagues and the use of the military equipment supplied to Syria under the existing contracts," Peskov said.

Answering the question where the Russian military adviser was at the time of his death, Peskov said that "the training took place where it was deemed appropriate."

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian military adviser killed in Syria had been recommended for a decoration. "The Russian military adviser in Syria performed the tasks of assisting the Syrian army to master the equipment supplied under the existing inter-state contracts in military and technical cooperation," the ministry said.

The officer was mortally wounded on February 1 in a mortar attack of a military garrison where one of the Syrian army units is located. The attack was carried out by ISIS (former name of the Islamic State terrorist group banned in Russia).