A Russian soldier has died from wounds sustained during combat in Syria, in the ninth military fatality since Vladimir Putin launched an intervention in the country’s civil war in September.

Anton Yerygin, a 31 year old signaller from Voronezh, was seriously wounded after coming under fire in Homs province, the ministry of defence in Moscow said on Thursday. He died of his wounds in hospital two days after the attack, the ministry said.

While the ministry did not give a date of death, relatives told Russian agencies that Mr Yerygin was wounded by a sniper while laying telephone wires near Palmyra and died on May 7.

Mr Yerygin is the ninth Russian solider confirmed to have died in Syria since Vladimir Putin ordered military intervention in the country’s civil war in September last year.

News of his death came amid unconfirmed reports that at least two other Russian soldiers have gone missing - and may be being held by the Isil terror group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said the YPG, a Kurdish group, is negotiating with Islamic State to establish the whereabouts of two or three Russian soldiers who vanished during fighting for Palmyra over a month ago.