Posted on 03/25/2016 8:31:20 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
The fearless officer was directing Russian airstrikes at Islamic State targets near the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria when he was surrounded by terrorists.
Not prepared to go down without a fight, he ordered military officials to drop bombs on his location and died in the blast.
A spokesperson for the Russian military said: "An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets."
"The officer was carrying out a combat task in Palmyra area for a week, identifying crucial IS targets and passing exact coordinates for strikes with Russian planes.
"The officer died as a hero, he drew fire onto himself after being located and surrounded by terrorists."
Moscow has been tight-lipped about having any soldiers on the ground throughout its campaign in Syria that began on September 30.
Last week IS-linked media said that five Russian special forces were killed near Palmyra, publishing pictures from their cellphones and a video showing a bloodied corpse.
However Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the time denied that Russian officers were participating in the advance on Palmyra, saying that "the advance is carried out by contingents of the Syrian army".
Syrian troops on Thursday entered the ancient city of Palmyra, which had been controlled by IS since last May, and clashes were ongoing in the city.
Backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia on the ground, the Syrian army advanced into Palmyra after launching a desert offensive early this month, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The defense ministry in Moscow said Russian aircraft carried out 146 strikes on "terrorist targets" in the Palmyra area between Wednesday and last Sunday.
VIDEO at site
Since there’s no more “Hero of the Soviet Union,” what will be posthumously receive?
The man is a hero. Condolences to his family.His actions may have saved some of our families.
Hats off to a brave man...
Hat’s off to a good man.
Saw this earlier today, and I would make him an honorary American. Offer citizenship to his wife and kids. They would make great Americans.
A better way to go than to be captured and burned alive in a cage
I suspect many of our combat troops have reservations about our regime and the ROE they are hamstrung with. Spetsnaz was hopefully given free reign to kill muzz where they found them and not worry about political oversight.
Absolutely agree!
Maybe they make great Russians.
Get hem the copper mugs and I bet they would make great Moscow Mules.
All kidding aside. That man had something special. An FU jihadis. It is something to be respected, though I would have figured out some way not to be in the way of the bombs if I could have.
Islam is a war plan.
I’d rather do that then get captured by the barbarians.
A funeral.
I have a great deal on a bridge for sale in brooklyn
Agreed, condolences
Anyone think that an Obama or a Clinton (take your pic of bill or Hillary) would ever act in such a selfless manner to spare the lives of others, or even if the entire population of the USA were in the cross-hairs (which it is)
Bill would’ve been the one dressed like a woman if he were on-board the Titanic, and I suspect if we put Obama on the spot he would be hard pressed to name all of even his immediate family members,
And yet we keep electing and installing such reprobates into positions of power and authority,
Amen. He died well in combat rather than be slaughtered in some horrible way by those animals.
Nube — feel the eyes of the kitties upon you...
Noobie?
I have been studying Russian genocide since 1973.
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