Russian Soldier Dies in Syria after Preventing Car Bomb Attack on Aid Convoy

Monday, 20 June 2016

A Russian soldier died in Syria as he prevented a car packed with explosives from reaching the humanitarian aid distribution point in Homs province, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“Sergeant Andrey Timoshenkov, who was escorting a humanitarian convoy of the Russian Reconciliation Center, has stopped a car rigged with explosives by opening fire at it with small arms. Andrey received injuries incompatible with life in the explosion of the vehicle driven by a suicide bomber,” the ministry said, RT reported.

The doctors at Russian Hmeimim airbase in Lattakia province intensively tried to save Timoshenkov’s life for over 24 hours, but he succumbed to his wounds on Thursday, June 16, it added.

According to the Russian media, the deceased serviceman was a marine from Russia’s exclave Kaliningrad Region, and the command has presented Sergeant Timoshenkov with a posthumous state award.

Russia has lost 11 troops since beginning its anti-terrorist operation in Syria on September 30, 2015, at the request of the country’s president, Bashar Assad.