Daniel Schearf MOSCOW— The news of Russia's first casualty among its troops in Syria is remarkable not only because his family doubts the official explanation for his death — that he committed suicide — but also for the fact that it was uncovered by social media sleuths. Conflict Intelligence Team, an online group founded by Russian blogger Ruslan Leviev, discovered the Russian contract serviceman's death on October 25 by combing through social media pages. Responding to emailed questions from VOA's Moscow bureau, Leviev said his group was looking to confirm earlier reports of Russians being killed in Syria. "During our routine work, we found a message on the...
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