A Russian contract soldier died near Palmyra on March 2, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday.

Axar.az reports that, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the soldier was killed during a terrorist offensive on Syrian army's positions, where Russian military advisers were present.

"Artem Gorbunov died on March 2 near Palmyra when repelling IS terrorists' attempts to advance on the positions of Syrian [government] troops, where Russian military advisers were present."

The soldier was posthumously awarded.

On March 2, the Syrian army backed by the Russian military aircraft operating in Syria regained control over Palmyra. When commenting on the military operation, the Russian General Staff said that Russian Special Forces and aviation played a crucial role in Palmyra's liberation.
On March 3 it became known that Russian Major General Petr Milyukhin was injured during the fighting in Palmyra. Sputnik reported that he was transported to a Moscow hospital. Further details remain unknown.

ISIS first captured Palmyra in May 2015. In the ten months that followed, the brutal group, notorious for destroying pre-Islamic cultural heritage sites, leveled the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baalshamin, the Monumental Arch and several tomb towers. Some of the priceless artifacts on display at a local museum were smashed or defaced.