Parents of Vadim Kostenko, confirmed as Russia’s first military casualty in Syrian operation, reject official version that son took own life at airbase

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The family of the first confirmed Russian military casualty during Moscow’s operation in Syria have said they are sceptical of official claims he killed himself.

Vadim Kostenko, a 19-year-old in the air force, died at Russia’s airbase near Latakia on Saturday, his parents said. They had been informed by his commanding officer, who came in person to tell them their son had hanged himself.

A source in the defence ministry confirmed the death to Russian news agency Interfax, claiming the soldier had taken his own life.

“A contract serviceman stationed at the Hmeimim airbase [in Latakia] as a technician committed suicide while he was resting after duty,” the source told the agency. “According to preliminary information, in particular the analysis of text messages in his phone, the reason for the death of the contract serviceman is problems in his personal relationship with a girl.”

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“I will never believe this version,” Kostenko’s mother, Svetlana, told Reuters from her house in southern Russia. “We spoke every day by phone for half an hour. [On Saturday] he was cheerful, happy, and he laughed.”



Kostenko’s is the first confirmed death since the Russian operation began in Syria a month ago.

The death was first flagged in a blog post by the Conflict Intelligence Team, a group of analysts who scour social networks and open source information for evidence of Russian military movements in Ukraine and Syria.

The group found posts on Vkontakte, a Russian social network, where friends and relatives of Kostenko mourned his death.

The soldier’s Vkontakte page, and that of his girlfriend, were filled with joint photographs and loving comments over recent weeks. Kostenko’s family told Reuters he was happy with his girlfriend and planned to marry her.



His parents said he signed a professional contract on 20 June and was sent to Syria on 14 September, a fortnight before Russian air strikes began.



Kostenko apparently served with the 960th Close Air Support regiment, based in the southern Krasnodar region where his family lives. The Conflict Intelligence Team said the SU-25 fighter jets currently active in Syria are from the same regiment.

The Wall Street Journal quoted a Russian defence source on Saturday stating that a serviceman had been killed in Syria while mishandling weapons. It is unclear whether this was Kostenko. The Conflict Intelligence Team also noted reports by Syrian activists over the weekend claiming smoke was seen rising from the Russian airbase.

Russian officials and army personnel closely guarded information about the deployment of Russian troops to Ukraine during the conflict in the east of the country, insisting when they were caught that the soldiers had either got lost or were no longer on active duty.

Funerals of Russian servicemen were carried out amid secrecy, while those who attempted to investigate the deaths were threatened.

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly ruled out using ground troops in the Syria conflict. The air operation is currently supported by 72% of Russians, a recent survey showed, backed up by state television reports showing the dangers Islamic State could pose to Russia in future.

But with memories of the disastrous Soviet campaign in Afghanistan still in the back of people’s minds, policymakers are aware that support could ebb if Russian soldiers start coming home in body bags.

Kostenko’s funeral is expected to take place on Wednesday in his home village of Grechanaya Balka.