Two Russian pilots died in Syria

The Ministry of Defense reported the death of Russian instructors in Syria in the area of ​​Palmyra.

The instructors of Ryathagan Khabibulin and Evgeny Dolgin, the Ministry of Defense said, made a circle of the Syrian Mi-25 helicopter and received a request from the Syrian command to the fire defeat of the “Islamic state” advancing to the east of Palmira (the organization is prohibited in the Russian Federation).

As a result of the “competent actions of the Russian crew, the attack of terrorists was disrupted,” the Ministry of Defense said. “Having spent the ammunition, when turning to the reverse course by fire from the ground, the helicopter was shot down by terrorists and fell in the area under the control of the Syrian government army,” the statement said.

A certain military source of Interfax said that the helicopter was shot down by militants of the Islamic State from the American heavy anti -tank missile system Tow. “According to reports, terrorists used the American Tow. The helicopter, having spent ammunition, was in the reverse course at extremely small altitudes, ”the source said.

The dead pilots are posthumously presented to high state awards.

The day before, we recall, the Ministry of Defense denied the information of the catarrian television channel Al Jazeera that the Islamists shot down a Russian helicopter east of Palmyra. Then the military talked about the absence of losses of aircraft. However, it is also said that not Russian, but a Syrian helicopter.

At the same time, according to the Ministry of Defense, during the day, ISIS militants “with fire support for mortars and pickups with ZU-23 anti-aircraft plants” several times attacked the positions of the Syrian army units 40 kilometers northwest of Palmyra.

Until now, 11 Russian troops in Syria were known about the death of 11. So now the official number of losses of the Armed Forces in Syria has reached 13 people. During the battles, two helicopters were lost. Mi-28 in April crashed in the Khoms area, two people died there. Mi-8 was shot down by militants during the operation to save the crew of the Su-24 aircraft-the bomber was shot down by a Turkish fighter.

Mi-25-Mi-25 transport and combat helicopter, export version of the Mi-24D helicopter. Serially produced in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, more than 600 cars were produced in total. The helicopter is designed to destroy armored vehicles, fire support for the land troops, landing, evacuation of the wounded, as well as transportation of goods in a cargo cab and on an external suspension.