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‘He always dreamed of flying’: Hero Su-25 pilot remembered in Russia Major Filippov's last stand: 34yo Russian pilot who detonated grenade not to surrender to terrorists
(about 5 hours later)
Major Roman Filipov, who was shot down by terrorists in Syria and then fought to the end, was a bright and easy-going boy who always dreamed of being a pilot, his hometown locals reveal. He was posthumously awarded a Hero title. Major Roman Filipov, who was shot down by terrorists in Syria and then fought to the end detonating a grenade when surrounded, was posthumously awarded a Hero title. Here are the facts known about his service and the last mission.
On Saturday, the Russian Su-25 jet piloted by 34-year-old Major Filipov was downed by a portable air-defense system (MANPAD) missile fired by terrorists in Idlib. An experienced pilot, Filipov, 34, went to great lengths trying to navigate the struck warplane, and managed to report that he had been hit by a missile before he ejected and landed in a terrorist-controlled area. The Russian Su-25 jet piloted by Major Filippov was downed Saturday in Syria’s Idlib province during a routine flight over the de-escalation zone. The plane was likely hit by a portable air-defense system (MANPAD).
The aviator didn’t give up hope, and put up a fight against the militants who were chasing him. Even after terrorists surrounded the heavily wounded Filipov, he was unstoppable. The heroic fighter pilot refused to surrender, and waited until the militants had closed in on him before detonating a grenade. Dramatic footage showed the plane descending with one of its engines on fire. The pilot tried to control the crippled craft and managed to report being hit to command before the jet eventually crashed. Filippov ejected safely but landed in a terrorist-controlled area. Large parts of the Idlib governorate are still controlled by Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front jihadist group.
Filipov was born in 1984 in the city of Voronezh, located some 465 kilometers (289 miles) south of Moscow. His schoolteacher Galina Klepikova recalls that he was bright, sociable and ever the optimist. As militants rushed to the downed pilot, Filippov engaged in a gun battle. Photos posted online show he possibly emptied almost two magazines in the process. The pilot was gravely wounded, but as the militants surrounded him, he set off a hand grenade shouting “This is for the boys!”
“He received mostly A grades. His teachers have nothing but good words to describe him,” Klepikova told Regnum news agency. “He dreamed of becoming a pilot.” The Russian Defense ministry has posthumously awarded Filipov with the country's highest award – the Hero of Russia medal. It did not disclose much of the major’s personal life, but according to media reports, 34-year-old Filippov leaves behind a wife and a daughter.
“We’re planning to hold lessons in courage in our school and come up… with a memorial for him,” she added. Born in 1984 in the city of Voronezh 465 km south of Moscow, Filippov graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation School. He then served in the Russian Far East, progressing from senior pilot to deputy commander of the squadron.
As he grew up, Filipov fulfilled his dream and graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation School. He then served in the Russian Far East, going from senior pilot to deputy commander of the squadron. In Syria, Filippov successfully conducted dozens of military operations, including eliminating terrorist groups and escorting humanitarian convoys to liberated areas. His commanders described Maj. Filippov as a promising, calm and resolute attack pilot.
In Syria, Filipov had successfully fulfilled dozens of military operations, including eliminating terrorist groups and escorting humanitarian convoys to liberated areas before what would prove to be his final mission. His commanders described Filipov as a promising, calm and resolute attack pilot. Filippov is not the first Russian serviceman to have shown exceptional courage during the military campaign against terrorists in Syria, opting to die in battle instead of surrendering or fleeing.
Filipov has now been posthumously awarded the “Hero of Russia” title for courage and heroism, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Russian officer, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko, called an airstrike on himself in March 2016 after his position was compromised, and then surrounded by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists during the battle for Palmyra.
Earlier, a dramatic video claiming to show Filipov locked in a life-and-death struggle with the terrorists on Saturday, showed armed militants moving in on the site to which the pilot reportedly parachuted. As the militants surround the spot, a voice is heard shouting in Russian “This is for the boys!” It is followed by a bang and a column of smoke is seen rising from behind the rock. Filippov’s Su-25 is the second Russian jet lost in active combat during the campaign. In November 2015, shortly after operations commenced, a Russian Su-24M bomber that was operating over the Syria-Turkey border area was shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet.
The two pilots of the Russian bomber managed to eject, but one of them was killed by local militants backed by Ankara. The second pilot was rescued in the daring search and rescue operation, in which a Marine lost his life and a helicopter was left behind and subsequently destroyed.