A newlywed father-to be, 25-year-old Alexander Prokhorenko, was a special forces soldier with the Russian military. The young man was stationed in the Syrian city of Palmyra, an Islamic State stronghold, on a top secret mission to locate ISIS targets for bombing raids. The young soldier, who was expecting his first child with new wife, Ekaterina, was behind enemy lines when he became surrounded by Islamic State militants. Seeing no means of escape, the young Russian decided to sacrifice his own life in a bid to kill the enemies surrounding him. Prokhorenko called an airstrike in on himself, effectively taking out the Islamic State fighters, but also himself.
The Daily Mail reports that a young Russian special forces soldier died a national hero after he called an airstrike in on himself in the Syrian city of Palmyra. The soldier was stationed in Palmyra on a secret mission aimed at identifying ISIS targets for bombing raids. As the soldier was behind enemy lines identifying targets, he became surrounded by Islamic State forces. Instead of turning himself in to the enemy, the Russian soldier made the decision to call in an airstrike on himself in a bid to take out as many Islamic State soldiers as possible, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.
Russian ‘Rambo’ wiped out ISIS fighters by calling airstrikes on HIMSELF https://t.co/jMKNQaUtBb pic.twitter.com/5JhirxUEok
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 30, 2016
Alexander Prokhorenko died in the airstrike, but his death has not gone unnoticed in his home country. The soldier is being awarded the highest honor in Russia, the Hero of Russia award, posthumously. The award is slated to be handed to Prokhorenko’s family by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘Russian Rambo’ who died killing dozens of ISIS fighters was about to become a dad https://t.co/Ast9Oevgdy pic.twitter.com/DKfgHzcAWX
— Daily Star (@Daily_Star) March 30, 2016
The young soldier had recently married wife Ekaterina and the pair were expecting their first child together. The young widow says that when her husband left for his final mission she had no idea he was going to the ISIS stronghold in Syria. Instead, the young wife says she thought her husband was to be stationed at the Russia’s Caucasus, a region at the border of Europe and Asia, situated between the Black and the Caspian seas.
NEVER PLAY WITH #RUSSIANS ; this one never wanted to be slaughtered like a goat, he went down as a HERO. Read on: https://t.co/LmgURfaNWp
— Tufairi. B. Kawawa (@Tufairi) March 25, 2016
The couple had recently wed in a heartfelt ceremony in which his friends describe made him the “happiest man in the world.” A video of his beautiful wedding has been shared below.
“He wanted to serve in the army and became a military, he wanted to have the best wife in the world, and there she was for him.”
Alexander Prokhorenko’s body is expected to be returned to Russia where he will be laid to rest with full military honors upon return. A Russian military spokesperson confirmed Alexander’s death, noting he was a Russian special forces soldier and called him a hero.
“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.”
The news of Prokhorenko’s death comes as Moscow’s defense ministry confirms that 146 airstrikes were carried out on Islamic State targets over a five day period.
What do you think about the Russian special forces soldier calling an airstrike on himself in a bid to take out numerous Islamic State militants which had him surrounded? Do you agree that the young Russian is a “hero?”
[Image via Facebook ]
