Media: Pilot of Russian Su-25 fighter shot down in Syria was from Crimea
The pilot of the Russian Su-25 fighter that was shot down on Saturday over northern Syria was a former Ukrainian pilot from Simferopol, Major Roman Filippov, Novaya Gazeta reported with reference to a source in the Russian Defense Ministry.
The newspaper notes that a letter was published on the Telegram channel WarObserver containing a photograph of a report stating that Major Roman Filippov is being given a state award for carrying out combat missions in Syria.
The letter was supposedly spotted in the Su-25 pilot’s clothing. The document was drawn up in the name of lieutenant colonel S. Aksenov, commander of the mixed aviation regiment.
Documents and a personal firearm were reportedly found in the deceased pilot’s possession.
“Judging by the one and a half spent Kalashnikov rounds, it can be presumed that the pilot had returned fire, and was killed on the ground already,” the Conflict Intelligence Team, a group of independent researchers, wrote on Twitter.
The CIT reported that the plane had been based in Crimea at the Belbek airfield.
The Russian Su-25 fighter was shot down on Saturday in the Syrian Idlib Province. The pilot’s death was later officially confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry. A representative of the military department said that according to provisional information, the aircraft was shot down using a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS).