The Russian Defense Ministry refuted on Thursday media reports about the alleged destruction of seven Russian military aircraft by militants during an attack at the Hmeymim air base in Syria.
“Reports of Kommersant [newspaper] about alleged ‘total destruction’ of seven Russian military aircraft at the Hmeimim air base are fake,” the ministry’s statement read.
The Defense Ministry added that Russian aviation units in Syria were combat ready and continue to accomplish assigned tasks in full.
“Terrorists shelled Syria’s Hmeymim airbase at night, killing two Russian servicemen,” the Russian Defense Minister said.
Russian newspaper Kommersant said earlier that seven aircraft had been destroyed and more than 10 servicemen had been injured as result of a shelling of Hmeymim base by terrorists.
The day before, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian Mi-24 helicopter crashed on December 31 during a flight to Hama airfield in Syria, with both pilots dying in the accident.