Sending volunteers to Donbas from Russia not under consideration - Peskov

MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) - Encouraging ordinary Russians to come to the aid of Donbas as volunteers is not under consideration, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"Sergei Kuzhugetovich [Shoigu, Russia's defense minister] spoke mainly about volunteers from the Middle East, [including] Syria, and hence, there was no talk about our citizens," Peskov said on Friday, when asked by journalists whether President Vladimir Putin's approval of the idea to engage foreign volunteers to provide military assistance to Donbas applies to Russian citizens, as well.

Asked to clarify whether sending Russian volunteers is not even being planned, Peskov said, "At least this hasn't been said, and I don't know anything about this."

Speaking at a conference with permanent members of the Russian Security Council on Friday, Putin approved the idea of engaging foreign volunteers for aiding Donbas.