"Russian military intelligence, in cooperation with Turkish colleagues, have returned the body of attack pilot major Roman Filipov to Russia, who died as a hero on February 3 in Syria. The funeral ceremony for Major Roman Filipov with the observance of military honors at the request of the family and parents of the Russian pilot will be held on February 8 in Voronezh," the Ministry of Defense stated.
A Russian Su-25 attack aircraft was downed by a MANPAD portable surface-to-air missile in the Syrian province of Idlib, within an area controlled by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), while it was flying overhead. Filipov managed to bail out from the falling plane, but died in a fight with terrorists, blowing himself up in order to avoid captivity. Filipov was posthumously awarded the title of the Hero of Russia.
The Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group, linked to former terrorist al-Qaeda branch in Syria that includes the Jabhat al-Nusra militants, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Responding to the attack, the Russian air forces launched a high-precision strike in the area from where the MANPAD had been launched, killing more than 30 militants.
READ MORE: Kremlin Deeply Worried That Terrorists Have MANPADS After Su-25 Downing in Syria
On February 6, the Russian Defense Ministry requested Turkey's assistance in obtaining debris of the Su-25 jet.
READ MORE: Russian MoD Requests Turkey's Assistance in Obtaining Debris of Downed Su-25
