Russian humanitarian helicopter shot down over Syria

A Russian helicopter in Syria.
(Image credit: Stringer/Getty Images)

Syrian rebels shot down a Russian transport helicopter with five people aboard, Moscow confirmed Monday. The aircraft had been delivering humanitarian aid to the Syrian city of Aleppo; it is not clear what specific group in the region was responsible for bringing the helicopter down. The Kremlin said everybody aboard was killed in the crash.

"They died heroically as [the crew] tried to divert the helicopter to minimize casualties on the ground," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.