Putin Signs Decree to Award 3 Heroes of Syrian Operation, 2 Posthumously

Vladimir Putin has awarded two Russian officers fallen in Syria and gave the order 'For Personal Courage' to the Russian captain who survived.

"For heroism, courage and bravery shown during the fulfilment of his military duties, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov has been awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)," the presidential decree released by the Kremlin press service reads.

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Furthermore, for their courage, bravery, and selflessness in carrying out their military duties, Su-24 co-pilot Captain Konstantin Murahtin, who made it back to friendly territory following a successful search and rescue operation, and Naval Infantry Soldier Alexandr Pozynich, who was killed during the course of a rescue operation, were awarded the Order of Courage (Pozynich posthumously).

Earlier in the day Vladimir Putin said that the commander of downed Su-24 will be awarded the Star of Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously.

On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 jet crashed in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the plane was downed by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish F-16 jet over Syrian territory, and fell 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border.