Russia has dismissed reports of its nationals fighting for Cambodia in the escalating border clash with Thailand, saying the “unfounded assertions undermine” the traditionally friendly ties between Moscow and Bangkok.
The Russian embassy in the Southeast Asian kingdom said in a social media post on Monday that the claims emerged from outside Thailand.
Thailand and Cambodia are locked in a deadly conflict that has killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the frontier as diplomatic efforts continue to end the bloodshed.
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The mission added that such “unfounded assertions appear intended to infringe upon the rights of Russian citizens present here as tourists or for business purposes”.
It also urged its nationals to avoid travelling to Thai-Cambodian border provinces.
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The embassy’s response came after police in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, home to a Thai airbase, stepped up surveillance of Russians staying in hotels, resorts and guest houses amid warnings that Cambodia could be recruiting foreign mercenaries to target military facilities in the area.