Talk of a Russian troop presence on the ground in Syria is "a lie", the Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Riad Haddad, said on Monday, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.
"We have been cooperating with Russia for 30-40 years in various areas, including the military sphere. Yes, we receive arms, military equipment, all this is done in line with agreements sealed between our countries," he was quoted as saying.
"But the talk of your (Russian) troop presence on the Syrian territory is a lie spread by Western countries, the United States."