On February 3, 2018, a Russian Su-25 jet was shot down in Syria. This type of jet is a single-seat, twin-engine that is designed to provide close air support. According to the Russian government, it was shot down by a shoulder launched anti-aircraft missile. The pilot lost his life. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the pilot was killed while resisting capture by rebels fighting against the Syrian government. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (London based) confirmed that rebel forces had shot down a Su-25 in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria. The Jihadist group (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) claimed responsibility. It confirmed the Russians’ statement: they used a shoulder missile system to shoot down the jet.
The independent Conflict Intelligence Team (Russian Based), has posted photographs that they claim show the dead body of the pilot and a document recommending a man by the name of Major Roman Fillipov for a state award. The document was allegedly filled out by Russian air group commander Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Aksyonov. Novaya Gazeta has gotten unconfirmed reports from the Defense Ministry that confirmine the pilot was Filippov. According to a newspaper, he was a Ukrainian pilot from Crimea. This incident also marked the first time Syrian rebels have shot down a Russian warplane.
Note: In July 2016, rebels used a shoulder-launched missile to shoot down a Russian made Syrian helicopter manned by a Russian crew.
Picture thanks to Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) Twitter) https://twitter.com/CITeam_en/status/959827075044691968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rferl.org%2Fa%2Frussia-confirms-warplane-downed-syria-pilot-dead%2F29016510.html
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Frants Klintsevich (Federation Council member/Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee), stated that an investigation would be launched to look into this incident.
Klintsevich– “As I have said before, I am positive that the militants have [shoulder-launched anti-aircraft weapons], and they have been supplied by the Americans via third countries.”