"As a result of a sudden mortar attack by militants the town of Syrian Government troops in Hama province killed Russian military adviser Captain Nikolai Afanasov," the MoD added. Afanasov was stationed in Syria to assist and advise in the training of ground forces.
The captain has been recommended to receive a military award posthumously for his service.
Afanasov was joined by fellow advisers as part of a contingency to prepare troops for combat. The shelling targeted a garrison housing Syrian government security forces. t's unclear whether other Russian officers suffered wounds from the attack.
Hama is located about 25 miles north of Homs and is a major hub for road traffic in west-central Syria. Aleppo is 85 miles north of the city where the Russian officer was killed during active duty.
Hama is the administrative capital of the Hama Governorate.
On May 2, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russia's military adviser Lt. Col. Alexey Buchelnikov was killed by a sniper in Syria while training personnel of a Syrian army artillery unit.
Russia began its counterterrorist military campaign in Syria on September 30, 2015, at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. In May, the RBC media group reported citing Russia's local authorities, the country's Defense Ministry as well as other sources, that at least 33 Russian military personnel were killed in Syria since the beginning of Russia's operation there.
