Russia appoints Syrian adviser to recover pilots’ bodies

Russia has commissioned a former member of the Syrian People’s Assembly, Anas Al-Shami, to negotiate with the Syrian opposition groups to recover the bodies of Russian pilots and crewmen who were killed when their helicopter crashed near Idlib on Monday.

Al-Shami, who lives in Moscow, said he had contacted the Aleppo operations room as well as the Ahrar Al-Sham and Fatah Al-Sham groups and he is now waiting to hear their demands.

On Monday a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by ground fire following delivery of humanitarian supplies to Aleppo.

Three crew and two officers from Russia’s Reconciliation Centre died, according to a Kremlin statement.