Moscow says a few dozen Russian citizens were recently injured in Syria, probably alluding to the February 7 U.S. airstrikes

Moscow is inching closer to acknowledging the presence of Russian citizens among the combatants targeted in U.S. airstrikes in Syria on February 7. On Tuesday, February 20, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said several dozen Russians were injured “in a recent military conflict” in Syria. Moscow didn't offer any further specifics, except to say that no Russian troops took part in the clash.

How many Russians died in the February 7 U.S. attack?

The estimates vary from a few dozen to more than two hundred. Moscow isn’t making the guessing game any easier. After initially denying that it knew anything about Russians killed in the U.S. airstrikes, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week that five Russian citizens may have died in the attack, adding that none of them was a Russian soldier. Western and Russian reporters believe the Russian combatants were mercenaries fighting in the “Wagner” private military company.