Russian soldiers captured by ISIS in Syria previously fought in eastern Ukraine
One of the Russian soldiers who were captured in Syria by ISIS terrorists fought previously in the Donbas in the ranks of the LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic), and another is connected to the so-called “Domodedovo” military brotherhood, as reported by Russian blogger Anatoly Nesmiyan (El Murid) in his LiveJournal.
As evidence, he released a photo which may shed light on Roman Zabolotny’s connection to the LPR, and Gregory Tsurkanov’s connection to the Domodedovo military brotherhood.
Nesmiyan believes that the soldiers are already dead.
“The captured Russians Tsurkanov and Zabolotny have, according to the militants’ reports, already been executed in Mayadi …. Tsurkanov is a member of the Domodedov division of the Military Brotherhood, Zabolotny is a Cossack from the Rostov province, who fought in the Donbas for the LPR,” the blogger writes.
According to him, it is most likely that all Russians are brought to Mayadin and executed there.
“According to the reports which have come through (although they are hard to confirm, of course), between seven and nine people were captured and executed. It’s hard to say who of them were mercenaries and who were federal soldiers,” Nesmiyan writes, noting that the day before, three people had been burned, and two of them were soldiers of Russian Special Forces.
Both of the soldiers are on the Ukrainian Myrotvorets list (list of the Donbas separatists): Zabolotny fought in the Luhansk province, and Tsurkanov in Yugoslavia and Syria.
Earlier, ISIS soldiers claimed to have captured two Russian soldiers in Syria. They released a video showing two men of Slavic appearance. One of the prisoners gave his name as Zabolotny Roman Vasilyevich, and that of the person sitting next to him as Tsurkanov Gregory Mikhailovich.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not confirmed the reports.
“There have been no incidents related to the capture or loss of Russian soldiers in the province of Deir al-Zor or in other regions of Syria,” the department claims. “All soldiers from the Armed Forces of Russia in the Syrian Arab Republic are carrying out their assigned tasks according to their designations,” the Defense Ministry stated.