ISIS shell kills Russian commander of Syrian Euphrates crossing
Lt. Gen. Valery Asapov, one of the most prominent field commanders of the Russian forces in Syria, was fatally wounded when an Islamic State shell exploded at a Russian-Syrian command post at Deir ez-Zour, in eastern Syria. The Defense Ministry in Moscow confirmed the much-decorated general was killed on Saturday, Sept. 23. DEBKAfile’s military sources: Gen. Asapov was responsible for setting up the 676th Separate Engineer Battalion which laid the pontoon bridges for the Syrian forces to carry out its amphibious crossing of the Euphrates River last week and reach the eastern bank. He personally oversaw the crossing.
The late Russian general was transferred to Syria from the Ukraine battlefield.
