Roman Filipov

{{Infobox military person

| name = Roman Filipov

|native_name=Роман Филипов

|honorific_prefix = Major

|image = Roman Nikolayevich Filipov.jpeg

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1984|08|13}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2018|02|03|1984|08|13}}

|birth_place=Voronezh, RSFSR, USSR

|death_place=Saraqib, Idlib, Syria

|placeofburial=

|placeofburial_label=

|allegiance={{Flag|Russian Federation|2018}}

|serviceyears=2001–2018

|rank=File:RFAF – Major - Every day blue-1.png Major

|commands=

|unit=File:Flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces.svg Russian Aerospace Forces

|battles=

Syrian Civil War
Northwestern Syria campaign{{KIA}}

| awards = Hero of the Russian Federation

| spouse = Olga Filipova (m. ?–2018)

| children = 2

}}

Roman Nikolayevich Filipov ({{langx|ru|Рома́н Никола́евич Фили́пов}}; 13 August 1984 – 3 February 2018) was a Russian military pilot who killed himself in a last stand to avoid being captured after being wounded by militants when his Su-25SM jet was shot down in Idlib Province, Syria, on 3 February 2018. Filipov was posthumously awarded the honor of the Hero of the Russian Federation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/05/russia-rains-retaliatory-strikes-rebel-held-idlib-jet-downed/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_androidshare_AqKbY15hzqvx|title=Russian pilot shouts 'this is for our guys' as he blows himself up to evade capture in Syria|first1=Josie|last1=Ensor|first2=Matthew|last2=Bodner|date=February 5, 2018|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}

Biography

Roman Filipov was born in Voronezh into the family of a military pilot and graduated from school No. 85 in Voronezh in 2001.[https://regnum.ru/news/2376454.html «Мечтал стать летчиком»: каким был погибший в Сирии Роман Филиппов] // ИА REGNUM, 05.02.2018{{cite web|url=https://www.krsk.kp.ru/daily/26790/3824849/|title="Вечного тебе полета": пилот сбитого в Сирии Су-25 служил в Приморском крае|author=Поликарпов В.|publisher=Komsomolskaya Pravda|date=5 February 2018}}Сушинова Я. [http://www.aif.ru/society/army/chto_izvestno_o_pogibshem_v_sirii_rossiyskom_pilote_filippove Минобороны рассказало об обстоятельствах гибели пилота Су-25 в Сирии] // Аргументы и факты, 05.02.2018

Upon completing the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School, he was posted at the air base in the village of Chernigovka, Primorsky Krai, ({{convert|200|km|abbr=on}} north of Vladivostok) in the Russian Far East. In the summer of 2017, he was stationed in Sakhalin.

On 3 February 2018, during the Syrian Civil War, Filipov was flying a Sukhoi Su-25 accompanied [https://www.kp.kg/daily/26792.4/3825872/ Последние переговоры Романа Филипова с пилотом второго Су-25: «В меня попали! Хорошо попали! Тяну на юг...»] Komsomolskaya Pravda, 7 February 2018. by another Su-25 at an altitude of about {{convert|4,000|m}} on a routine patrol mission over the province of Idlib.[https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3540044 Летчик принял бой на земле: “Ъ” узнал подробности гибели пилота Су-25 в Сирии] Kommersant, 5 February 2018. Uploaded videos showed the jet was part of a two-ship formation flying at low-to-medium altitude, with the downed aircraft separating and diving to perform a rocket attack. While pulling up after deploying air to ground rockets without deploying defensive flares, the Su-25 was hit by a missile. He was downed by militants over the province of Idlib, near the town of Maarrat al-Nu'man ({{convert|57|km|abbr=on}} north of the city of Hama), or the town of Saraqib, according to other sources,{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/syria-rebels-shoot-down-russian-jet-capture-pilot-monitor/a-42442483|publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=3 February 2018|accessdate=3 February 2018|title=Syria rebels shoot down Russian jet, capture pilot - monitor}}{{Cite web|url=https://vz.ru/news/2018/2/3/906619.html|title=Источник: Сбитый в Сирии самолет оказался российским Су-25|website=ВЗГЛЯД.РУ}} presumably by a shoulder launched surface to air missile. Responsibility was claimed by Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat Al-Nusra) and Jaysh al-Nasr, which is affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.[http://www.bbc.com/russian/news-42943605 Погибшего в Сирии летчика представили к званию Героя России] BBC, 5 February 2018.

Filipov survived the crash and was last seen on live footage being surrounded by militants and committing suicide with a grenade to avoid capture. On the same day, Russian forces retaliated by firing Kalibr missiles targeting rebel positions in Idlib province responsible for the downing, killing at least 30 rebel fighters.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/03/syria-rebels-shoot-down-russian-jet-monitoring-group-says/303713002/|title=Russian cruise missiles kill at least 30 Syrian rebels after jet fighter downed|work=USA Today|accessdate=4 February 2018|language=en}}

Filipov's body was repatriated to Russia on 6 February 2018, where he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation via presidential decree.

[http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/56809 Major Roman Filipov awarded title of Hero of Russian Federation]

{{cn|date=May 2021}} Filipov was buried on 8 February 2018, at the Alley of Glory of the Kominternovskoye Cemetery in Voronezh, Russia with thousands of people in attendance. In a speech to the Russian Parliament, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his courage and service.{{cite web |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/tens-of-thousands-mourn-russian-pilot-killed-in-syria/2018/02/08/d406d7ec-0cd8-11e8-998c-96deb18cca19_story.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180208213410/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/tens-of-thousands-mourn-russian-pilot-killed-in-syria/2018/02/08/d406d7ec-0cd8-11e8-998c-96deb18cca19_story.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2018-02-08 |title= Tens of thousands mourn Russian pilot killed in Syria|author= |date=2018-02-08 |work= The Washington Post |accessdate=2018-02-09}}