Deceased Russian Pilot Nominated for Hero of Russia Award
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
It’s Russia’s highest honor, established in 1992 – awarded to its citizens and foreign nationals for extraordinary service to the state, “usually connected with a heroic feat of valor.”
Recipients receive a Gold Star honorary title medal, awarded by Russia’s president. Nearly 1,000 individuals received the honor, hundreds posthumously – Major Roman Filipov nominated to be the latest recipient.
US-supplied shoulder-launched, man-portable, surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS) were used by terrorist fighters to down his Su-25 aircraft.
He ejected in time, landed in al—Nusra-infested territory, used his Stechkin machine pistol issued to all Russian pilots along with three magazines, one empty, the others half-empty, indicating he valiantly combatted US-supported terrorists against long odds.
A Russian Defense Ministry statement said the following:
“Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has posthumously nominated Major Roman Filipov, deputy squadron commander of the Eastern Military District’s attack aviation regiment, who was killed on February 3, 2018 while fighting terrorists in Syria for the title of Hero of Russia.”
He “did his best to keep the plane in the air as long as he could. He managed to report to his commanders he had been attacked by a missile.”
He “ejected himself and landed near the terrorists-held village of Tell-Debes. Until the last moments of his life, he fought with the terrorists with his hand weapon.”
He “blew himself up with a grenade after being heavily injured and surrounded by terrorists when the attackers were several dozen meters away.”
He performed dozens of successful missions in Syria – combatting US-supported terrorists.
Washington bears responsibility for his death – for launching naked aggression on Syria, using ISIS and other terrorists as imperial foot soldiers, for supplying them with MANPADS, the weapon used to down Filipov’s plane, leading to his death.
Syrian ground operations continue in the area where he died to find MANPAD fragments, looking for serial number ID to determine the weapon’s origin beyond dispute.
A Sunday article discussed evidence from the international arms monitor Conflict Armament Research group, explaining US MANPADS were covertly supplied to ISIS terrorists in Syria.
Most weapons recovered from them were made by US arms producers, supplied to al-Nusra and other terrorists as well.
In retaliation for Filipov’s death, Russian aircraft attacked the area controlled by al-Nusra terrorists. More than 30 of its fighters thought to be involved in the incident killed.
According to Izvestia, Russia’s Defense Ministry ordered its aircraft in Syria to fly at higher altitudes (above 16,400 feet) – out of range of US-supplied MANPADS to terrorist fighters.
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