Russian Foreign Ministry Receives No Explanations from USA and Iraq

The Russian Foreign Ministry has not received any official explanation for firing at the Russian diplomatic convoy so far, the Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokesman Alexander Yakovenko stated at a press conference on Monday. "We can operate only with official information," the high-ranking official stressed.

Yakovenko expressed hope that "in the near future the Russian side would receive an official response on the subject." According to the Foreign Ministry's sources, on Monday morning the motorcade with Russian diplomats headed towards the Syrian border, he also stated.

The diplomat, who was operated on the day before is now staying at Faluja's hospital, Yakovenko reported. Another diplomat who speaks fluent Arabic is staying with him.

"Now the patient's transportation to Moscow is being considered," Yakovenko pointed out. "He will be taken to Moscow as soon as his health improves," the official spokesman said.

During the incident three people were seriously injured and two more Russians received slight wounds.

A RIA Novosti correspondent in Damascus found out that one of the wounded diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Iraq had been operated on. He had received two bullets from the M-16 automatic rifle adopted by the US army and marines.

A correspondent of the Russian TV channel, Alexander Minakov, who was among the diplomats stated that the motorcade with Russian diplomats and journalists leaving Baghdad had been fired at by US troops. According to Minakov, the Russian cars got involved in the heavy fire aimed at the Iraqi troops situated along the motorcade's way.