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Russia to insist on sending humanitarian mission to Raqqa at UN Security Council - Lavrov

"We insist at the UN Security Council that a humanitarian mission should be sent there urgently," the minister added

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russia will insist at the UN Security Council on sending a humanitarian mission to Raqqa urgently, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Kazakh President’s TV and radio broadcasting company released on the ministry’s website on Saturday.

"Raqqa is currently ruined, it has been confirmed, the corpses have not been buried," he said. "We insist at the UN Security Council that a humanitarian mission should be sent there urgently," the minister added.

Earlier on Saturday Russia’s Defense Ministry said that thousands of corpses of civilians and militants who were killed during the bombing of the coalition remain under the rubble in Raqqa. The registered outbreaks of infections may lead to an epidemic. The ministry added that more than 500 residents of Raqqa were killed by explosions of ammunition and improvised explosive devices.

More than 200,000 refugees have returned to their homes in eastern Aleppo after its liberation, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Kazakh President’s TV and radio broadcasting company.

"Since the time it was liberated around 200,000 civilians that escaped from terrorists, have already returned to their homes," he said.

Earlier on Saturday Russia’s Defense Ministry said that 800,000 people have returned to the liberated areas of Aleppo since December 2016 thanks to the authorities of Syria and Russia.

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Anti-Russian sanctions

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