Hero Russian pilot yells 'This is for our guys' and blows himself up to avoid ISIS capture
A RUSSIAN pilot shot down in Syria dramatically shouted "This is for our guys!" before killing himself with a grenade to avoid being captured by jihadists, sensational video shows. Major Roman Filipov had ejected from his stricken Sukhoi 25SM after being struck by a portable surface-to-air missile system.
Pilot of shot-down Russian warplane caught by ISIS in Syria
Rebels opened fire on him as he parachuted to the ground but he landed safely.
The 33-year-old pilot was in radio contact with his Khmeimim base from the ground, and shot dead two rebels with his Stechkin pistol as the jihadists closed in on him.
But realising his situation was hopeless, he pulled the pin on his grenade to kill himself.
His last words caught on a rebel video were: "This is for our guys."
Roman Filipov, Russian pilot killed in Syria
Major Filipov, from Vladivostok, has been posthumously nominated for the Kremlin's highest honour - the Hero of Russia, it was reported.
Vladimir Putin is expected to grant the award.
The pilot was flying at 4,000 metres when he was hit.
Earlier reports suggested Major Filipov had been captured by rebels and separately that he had been killed in fighting.
But later it became clear that he had exploded his grenade to take his own life rather than be captured.
Roman Filipov, Russian pilot killed in Syria
Moment Syrian jet “shoots down” Russian aircraft
Syrian and Russian forces were reported to be on the ground at the scene of the incident aiming to retrieve the pilot's remains.
Russia's defence ministry confirmed the pilot had been shot down, saying: "A Russian Su-25 aircraft crashed during a flight over the Idlib de-escalation zone.
'The pilot had enough time to announce he had ejected into the zone, under the control of al-Nusra Front fighters.
'The pilot was killed in fighting against terrorists."