US-Supplied MANPADS Downed Russian Aircraft in Syria
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Russia intervened in Syria to combat terrorists in support of Syrian sovereignty, territorial integrity and right of its people alone to choose their leadership, free from foreign interference.
Syria is Obama’s war, now Trump’s, waged for regime change, wanting pro-Western puppet governance replacing the nation’s sovereign independence, using ISIS and other terrorists as imperial foot soldiers.
There’s no ambiguity about what’s going on. Media scoundrels pretend otherwise, suppressing vital information about Washington’s agenda, reporting disinformation about the war instead, supporting US aggression, not responsibly condemning it.
One of more US-supplied shoulder-launched, man-portable, surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS) were used by terrorist fighters to down a Russian Su-25 aircraft, its pilot murdered on the ground after descending from his disabled plane, takfiris affiliated with the US-supported Free Syrian Army shown gloating over his body in a disturbing video they prepared.
Identified as Major Roman Filippov, Russia’s Defense Ministry said he died “during combat with terrorists.”
Reportedly, Lt. Colonel Sergey Aksenov recommended he be honored for completing combat missions in Syria.
A photo showed his Stechkin machine pistol issued to all Russian pilots along with three magazines, one empty, the others half-empty, indicating he valiantly combated terrorists on the ground until killed.
The incident is one of many showing Washington is waging proxy war on Russia in Syria. Obama and now Trump want endless war and regime change, peace and stability rejected as unacceptable.
A Russian Defense Ministry statement said the following:
“On 3 February 2018, a Russian fighter jet Su-25 crashed when flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone. The pilot was able to report ejection from an area controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra militants. The pilot was killed while fighting against terrorists.”
“According to preliminary information, the jet was brought down with a portable anti-aircraft missile system.”
“The Russian center for reconciliation of warring sides in Syria alongside the Turkish side, responsible for the Idlib de-escalation zone, are taking steps to retrieve the Russian pilot’s body.”
In response to the incident, “(a) group strike using precision weapons has been conducted in the area controlled by the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group in Idlib province, from where the missile was launched against the Russian Su-25 airplane.”
“According to radio intercepts, as a result of the strike, more than 30 militants of Jabhat al-Nusra were destroyed.”
Since intervening to combat US-supported terrorists in September 2015, Russia lost four aircraft and four helicopters.
The Su-25 is designed to destroy small-size mobile and fixed ground objects, as well as low-speed air targets.
Following Saturday’s incident, Russian lower house State Duma Defense Committee chairman Yury Shvytkin called for an investigation, saying what happened was the first time terrorists successfully used Western-supplied MANPADS to down a Russian aircraft.
Clearly, Washington is responsible for the incident. Though Russia won’t retaliate against US forces in Syria, the Su-25’s downing and death of its pilot escalates things toward possible confrontation between both countries.
Their agendas are polar opposite in Syria and elsewhere, their bilateral relations dismal.
An eventual clash between both countries remains a disturbing possibility, maybe inevitable given Washington’s rage for eliminating all sovereign independent governments, wanting control over planet earth, its resources and populations.
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