Rebel fighters drive a damaged vehicle in Latamneh city that was hit on Wednesday by Russian air strikes, in the northern countryside of Hama, Syria.

Russia is not conducting operations in Syria involving its own ground troops and will not do so, Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, the head of the lower house of parliament’s defense committee, said on Tuesday, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

Komoyedov, who on Monday had said it was likely that Russian volunteers would travel to Syria to fight there, was also quoted as saying that Russia was blocking any attempts by its citizens to fight on either side in the Syrian conflict.

However, Russia will consider extending its air strikes against militants in Syria to Iraq if it receives such a request from Baghdad, the RIA news agency quoted the head of the country’s upper chamber of parliament as saying on Tuesday.

The speaker, Valentina Matviyenko, said Russia had so far not received such a request from the Iraqi government.

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