Russian Helicopter Shot Down in Aleppo, All Passengers Confirmed Dead

A military helicopter is seen at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on February 16, 2016. STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

A Russian Mi-8 helicopter carrying humanitarian workers was shot down in Aleppo, Syria on Aug. 1, killing all five passengers on board, according to the Russia’s defense ministry.

“Three crew members and two officers from the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria were on board,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to Russia Today.

The transporter was en route to the Russian air base at Khmeimim after returning from distributing humanitarian supplies to the Syrian city. The Russian Reconciliation Center was established by the Ministry of Defense to serve as a peace buffer between the Syrian government and opposition groups not affiliated with terrorist groups.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the passengers on board were participating in a humanitarian mission before they were killed.

An Mi-8 helicopter flies over the Chechen regional capital Grozny, Russia, in 2002, the same model as the downed helicopter on Aug. 1, 2016. AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev, File

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In July, an Mi-25 crashed near Palmyra, killing two Russian pilots, and in April, an Mi-28 attack helicopter crashed near the city of Homs. However, in the second case, the Russian military stressed that there was no evidence a rebel attack brought the helicopter down. According to the Kremlin, the Mi-25 crash was caused by technical issues. 

“Nobody shot at the aircraft. This is probably a technical failure,” Peskov said at the time.