Russian photographer missing, believed captured in Syria

Russian photographer and travel blogger Konstantin Zhuravlev is apparently in trouble in Syria, two weeks after last turning up on social media to report that he was about to cross there from Turkey. The Russian Embassy in Damascus is already under instructions to find out the truth behind local reports that rebels have captured a ‘Russian spy’ in Aleppo and are about to parade him before cameras, Voice of Russia reported. Zhuravlev, aged 32, was traveling towards Egypt and then on to spend three weeks in the Sahara Desert. Russian Vice Consul in Damascus Vasilly Kartuzov has described Zhuravlev’s hitchhiking through a war zone as ‘a highly irresponsible behavior’. He also re-iterated official advice to Russian nationals to delay travel to Syria. In the meantime, the agency ITAR-TASS has quoted a Syrian security source as confirming Zhuravlev’s capture by the rebel group known as Liva at-Tauhid. The officer dismissed spying accusations against Zhuravlev but condemned the Russian traveler for crossing into Syria without official authorization.