5 August 2026 12:03 (UTC+04:00)Ulviyya Poladova Read moreRussian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Dmitry Dogadkin as Russia's new ambassador to Syria, marking Moscow's first ambassadorial appointment since the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, AzerNEWS reports. The appointment was formalized in a presidential decree published on Russia's official legal information portal. In a separate decree, Putin relieved Alexander Yefimov of his duties as Russia's ambassador to Syria. From 2009 to 2013, Dogadkin served as a senior adviser at the Russian Embassy in Damascus. Image: The official website of the Russian Embassy in Qatar