Families of Russian Military Personnel, Martyred in Syria, Arrive in Damascus

DAMASCUS, (ST)- A number of families of Russian military personnel, who were martyred in Syria, are now on a visit to the country at the invitation of the Syrian leadership.

Five families of Russian martyrs, who arrived in Syria today, visited the Ummayad Mosque accompanied by five families of Syrian martyrs, who sacrificed their lives to protect Syria from terrorism. They made a tour there to know about Syria’s history, civilization and the peace it has exported to the entire world.

“Nikolai Filipov”, father of Russian martyr Roman Filipov, who was killed in Syria’s Idleb countryside, said while touring the Ummayad Mosque, “my son sacrificed his life for peace and stability to prevail in Syria. Russia has supported the Syrians and cooperated with them in fighting terrorism, so the blood of the Russian martyrs was mixed with that of the Syrian martyrs.”

 Filipov pointed out that he was introduced to a number of Syrian martyrs’ families, hoping that contacts will continue between the martyrs’ families of both countries as to support each other.

“Gilina Peshkova”, the wife of Russian martyr Oleg Peshkov, said “Syria’s soil is now containing the blood of Russian heroes who sacrificed themselves to eliminate terrorism, so Syria means a lot for us and we shouldn’t forget the heroism of the martyrs who fought as to help the Syrian children live in peace.”

Syria’s Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, who had a meeting with the Russian martyrs’ families, said that the families’ visit to Syria is a message to the entire world that Russia came to Syria to stand by the rightness represented by the Syrian state which has been fighting terrorism and darkness in defense of the entire world.

He added that if the terrorists triumphed in Syria fire would erupt in all parts of the world.  

The Russian families’ being here in Damascus today indicates that “we won’t forget those who supported us during the battle against terrorism. However, we also won’t forget those who paid the money to destroy Syria.”

“At this moment of victory, we say to the martyrs that their blood was not and will never be in vain,” the mufti said.

Dmitry Sablin, Coordinator of the Russian-Syrian Parliamentary Friendship Committee clarified that the Russian delegation comprises five families of Russian military personnel who were martyred to achieve the goal of achieving victory over terrorism.

He thanked the Syrian leadership for inviting the martyrs’ families to visit Syria.

According to a TASS correspondent, family members of five Russian military officers who lost their lives in the fight against terrorism, have arrived in Damascus. They include the parents of Hero of Russia Roman Filipov, who got shot down in a Sukhoi Su-25SM fighter jet, fought with militants on the ground and blew himself up with a hand grenade after having been seriously wounded.

The Russian delegation also includes the wife and children of Hero of Russia Marat Akhmetshin, a military adviser who was killed in a fight with members of the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia), trying to save his fellow soldiers. Among the delegation members are the wife and son of Hero of Russia Oleg Peshkov, who ejected from his plane downed by a Turkish fighter jet over Syria but was killed by fire from the ground, as well as the wife and daughter of Colonel Valery Matveyev, who died during a hard landing of a Mil Mi-12 helicopter, and the daughter of nurse Nadezhda Durachenko, killed in a militant attack on a makeshift hospital in Aleppo.

Hamda Mustafa