MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2021) Russia has always supported Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday, when asked about media reports on deliveries of Russian COVID-19 vaccines to the Arab country.
"Russia helps and will continue to help Syria," Peskov said without revealing any more details.
On Saturday, The New York Times reported that Israel had allegedly agreed to finance the supply of Russian Sputnik V vaccines to Syria, in exchange for the release of an Israeli woman held captive in Damascus.
SANA said on Friday that reports, such as the one released by The New York Times, about Sputnik V supplies to Syria "aim to defame Syria and distort the patriotic and humanitarian side of the process."
On Thursday, SANA reported that a Russian-brokered prisoner exchange between Syria and Israel had taken place, resulting in the release of two Syrian citizens, Mohammed Ahmad Hussein and Tarik al-Obeidan, from Israeli prisons, with both of them having returned in their villages in the Syrian province of Quneitra.
As part of the deal, Syrian activist Nihal al-Maqt was also freed in return for a 25-year-old Israel woman, who entered Quneitra by mistake. According to Israel's state-owned broadcaster, KAN, the women had already returned home. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the assistance in returning an Israeli citizen from Syria.
