Russia will bring back bodies of military killed in Mi-8 helicopter downing in Syria - deputy head of Federation Council committee on defense
MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is working on returning the bodies of the Russians from the Mil Mi-8 military helicopter downed in Syria, Franz Klintsevich, deputy chairman of the Federation Council committee on defense and security, said.
"Of course, Russia is taking measures, the military have such experience," Klintsevich told Interfax on Friday.
Klintsevich said the military can hold negotiations or "use operative capabilities."
"They can decide and reach agreements. Give them time, they will resolve this issue. It may take a week or a month," he said.
Klintsevich said such issues were mostly resolved positively during the USSR operation in Afghanistan and the bodies of the dead troops were brought back home.
The western media reported that the group that was unknown before had said that it had the bodies of the five Russians from the Mi-8 military helicopter downed in Syria. This group had suggested exchanging them for the release of prisoners from Syrian prisons.
According to other media, the bodies of the Russian military are held by militants from Jabhat al-Nusra, which is banned in Russia.
The military-transport helicopter Mi-8, which was taking humanitarian cargoes to the city of Aleppo, was downed in the province Idlib on August 1 while returning to the Hmeimim air base. It was carrying three crewmembers and two officers from the Russian center for reconciliation of the parties in conflict in Syria, they were all killed.