Russia remains committed to Syria’s Assad despite Ukraine war, Pentagon says

Reports that Moscow has been readying tens of thousands of Syrians to fight in Europe are "disinformation," senior US defense official tells Congress.
Syrians wave flag of Russia and a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad.
Syrians wave flag of Russia and a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad during a rally in support of Russia in the Syrian capital Damascus, on March 25, 2022. - LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images
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Jared Szuba
@JM_Szuba

A senior Pentagon official threw cold water on recent news reports that Russia has been redirecting significant numbers of its troops and local mercenaries from Syria to fight in Ukraine.

Dana Stroul, the Pentagon’s top Middle East policy official, sought to correct the record before members of the Senate’s Foreign Relations panel on Wednesday.

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