Putin: About 4,000 Russians Among Islamic Insurgents in Syria
NOVANEWS
By nsnbc international
During the meeting with the naval officers on Thursday, Putin said Russian military intelligence estimated that about 4,000 Russians are in Syria and fighting alongside insurgents there. He noted than an additional, estimated 5,000 from former Soviet republics also are fighting alongside insurgents there.
The presence of Islamist insurgents in Syria has repeatedly been noticed by Syrian as well as Russian military and intelligence services. Putin did not break down the numbers, but reports about captured and/or killed fighters from the Russian Federation and material posted by the insurgents themselves strongly suggests that the majority come from Chechnya and other Caucasus regions.
Putin defended military operations in Syria saying that they ha...
