The body of Alexander Prokhorenko, killed during the clashes for Palmyra, was returned to Russia on April 29. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the information.
“It was a matter of honor for the Defense Ministry to return the body of First Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko, Hero of the Russian Federation, from the hands of terrorists,” the MoD statement reads.
The officer’s body arrived to Moscow after special actions of the Syrian government and Kurdish self-defense forces.
Alexander Prokhorenko was killed during the military operation against ISIS near the city of Palmyra. He was providing intelligence and coordinating Russian planes to attack terrorist targets.
During the operation, Prokhorenko’s position was discovered and he was surrounded by ISIS militants. To avoid being captured, possibly tortured and interrogated, Prokhorenko called an airstrike on his own position. He has been awarded the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously.