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Conflict in Syria

Diplomat vows to identify manufacturer of weapon that downed Russian jet in Syria

On February 3, the terrorists used a man-portable air defense system to down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet, which was conducting a survey flight over Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. A test is underway to identify the manufacturer of the man-portable air defense system that was used to down Russia’s Sukhoi Su-25 jet in Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday.

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"A test is currently underway that will help figure out where the man-portable air defense system was made," she said.

Zakharova added that such weapons could not fall into the hands of terrorists "unless they had serious foreign support."

On February 3, members of the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (outlawed in Russia) used a man-portable air defense system to down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet, which was conducting a survey flight over Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone. Pilot Roman Filipov managed to eject himself from the aircraft but later blew himself up with a hand grenade after having been surrounded by militants. Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded him the Hero of Russia title.

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Syrian conflict

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