Russia confirms Su-25 pilot committed suicide with grenade while surrounded by rebels

"After parachuting into a village controlled by terrorists, Major Roman Filippov fought until the last minute with conventional weapons. Surrounded and seriously wounded, the Russian officer committed suicide with a grenade when the rebels were only a few dozen meters away,"Sputnikciting today's announcement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Video posted on YouTube channel IDLIB + shows Syrian rebels closing in on Major Filippov, who was hiding behind a rock. As the rebels closed in, Filippov shouted "For my comrades" before pulling the pin on a grenade. There was a loud bang and smoke billowed from behind the rock, but it was unclear whether any rebels were killed in the blast.

The Russian military confirmed that Major Filippov tried to control the Su-25 attack plane that was hit by a missile and reported the situation to the command center, but the plane crashed shortly after, forcing him to parachute into the rebel-controlled area.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the pilot would be posthumously awarded the title Hero of Russia. "Major Roman Filipov carried out dozens of combat missions in Syria to destroy international terrorist groups and escorted numerous relief convoys to liberated areas," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

A Russian Su-25 attack aircraft was shot down during combat in the skies over Idlib province, northwestern Syria on February 3. The Russian and Syrian militaries are trying to determine the type of missile used by the rebels to shoot down the attack aircraft.