ASTANA, January 25. /TASS/. Russia has evidence terrorists from the Idlib de-escalation zone in Syria fight in Ukraine on Kiev’s side, Russia’s special presidential envoy for the Syrian settlement, Alexander Lavrentiev, has told TASS.

"There is evidence that some members of terrorist organizations, including those located in the Idlib de-escalation zone, already operate in Ukraine. Especially those born in the former republics of the Soviet Union," he said, when asked whether Russia had information that IS militants (Islamic State is banned in Russia as a terrorist group) from Syria had recently been sent to Ukraine to participate in hostilities on Kiev’s side.

In a joint statement following the 21st international meeting on Syria on the Astana platform, held on January 24-25 in Astana, the participating countries said that Russia, Turkey and Iran "express serious concern about the presence and activity of terrorist groups that threaten civilians inside the Idlib de-escalation zone and beyond."