MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video on Monday that shows some of the most precious relics of Syria’s ancient Palmyra city devastated by Islamic State (Daesh) militants.
"The Defense Ministry of Russia has published video evidence of destruction by Daesh militants of historical architectural objects in the ancient Palmyra complex," the ministry’s information department said.
The drone footage was made during a routine monitoring mission. "It shows barbaric destruction by Daesh terrorists of the Roman amphitheater and the Tetrapylon, the landmarks of the ancient city."
According to the ministry, the video proves that Islamists had blown up proscenium, the central part of the Roman-era amphitheater, and columns of the 16-column Tetrapylon, which dates back to 270 A.D.
"We have detected an upsurge in truck movement near the ancient city amid Syrian troops’ successful advance on Palmyra. This indicates that Daesh wants to bring in explosives to deal maximum damage to the remaining architectural relics before they leave," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
