Defence Ministry has confirmed that its Lt Gen Valery Asapov has been killed in Syria.
“(He) was at a command post of Syrian troops, assisting the Syrian commanders in the operation for the liberation of the city of Deir ez-Zor,” Russian defence ministry said on Sunday.
Asapov was wounded, State news agency Tass reported that “as a result of a mortar shelling by the IS (Islamic State group).”