Russian Soldier Who Called Airstrike On Himself As ISIS Closed In Has Been Identified

A Russian special forces officer who called in an airstrike on his position in order to take out dozens of ISIS terrorists in Syria has been named.

Alexander Prokhorenko, 25, died in the bombing but has been hailed a hero for his final, selfless act.

As he was surrounded by the terrorists near the ancient city of Palmyra, he made the decision to call in Russian warplanes to bomb his location.

He is survived by his wife, Ekaterina, who is reportedly pregnant with their first child.

A spokesperson for the Russian military told the Mirror: "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."

Words by Mel Ramsay

Featured image credit: Getty

Topics: Islamic State, ISIS

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

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