Parents of first Russian soldier to die in Syria dispute suicide claims

Russia has confirmed the death of one of its soldiers in Syria for the first time since the Kremlin launched a campaign of airstrikes. The parents of Vadim Kostenko told Reuters they had been informed their son had hanged himself on his base at the end of a shift - but they said they did not believe the Russian Defence Ministry’s explanation. It is claimed the “technician” had fallen out with his girlfriend. Kostenko, 19, from the southern Krasnodar region, “went to Syria as a contract soldier”, a person close to the family said by phone from Krasnodar.

We spoke every day by phone for half an hour. He was cheerful, happy and he laughed.

Vadim Kostenko’s mother, Svetlana and father, Alexander

On September 30, Russia launched a bombing campaign in Syria, saying it needed to target Islamic State militants before they cross into Russia. Warplanes have carried out sorties from the Hmeimim airbase in government-held territory in Latakia and Russian servicemen are based there to help service the aircraft, among other talks. Russia insists that its ground troops are not taking part in combat operations in Syria and there have been no official reports of any servicemen dying while on duty in the war-torn country. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters that he knew “nothing about” the possible deaths of any Russian soldiers in Syria and referred all questions to the defence ministry.

Middle East Russia Syria