Russia probing Daesh claims about captive soldiers in Syria

Russian authorities have launched an investigation into claims by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group that it has taken captive two Russian soldiers in eastern Syria.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it was working to determine the identity and whereabouts of the two individuals Daesh claimed were Russian soldiers, who it had captured in the province of Dayr al-Zawr.

The two men were shown in a video released on Wednesday. Moscow swiftly denied that any of its military personnel were under the captivity of Daesh.

The Kremlin also said it was looking into reports that one of the men depicted in the Daesh video was a member of a paramilitary Russian group called the Great Don Army. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said authorities were treating the reports from the Cossack unit's with caution.

“Moscow is concerned about those individuals in case they are actually Russian citizens,” he said, adding that the statement from the paramilitary unit had no official value but authorities would still look into reports.

The Great Don Army, which has been linked to the Russian military in the midst of a conflict in eastern Ukraine over the past few years, said it did not know how its member identified as Roman Zabolotny ended up in Syria. Moscow has repeatedly denied any links to the group while also dismissing reports that it dispatched private security firms to fight alongside Syrian government troops. Russian authorities say there might be citizens in Syria who are fighting on their own initiative.

SS