Tens of thousands of people have attended the funeral of a Russian Air Force pilot who died in Syria last week.

Reports say more than 30,000 people attended the funeral ceremony on February 8 for Major Roman Filipov in his native city in southwestern Russia.

Filipov was laid to rest with military honors in Voronezh, after Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other high-ranking defense officials paid their last respects to the pilot at an airfield in the Moscow region.

The Defense Ministry says Filipov parachuted out of his Sukhoi-25 ground-attack aircraft into rebel-held territory in northern Syria on February 3, and killed himself with a hand grenade to avoid capture.

His body was later returned to Russia.

President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded Filipov the title "Hero of Russia."

He was married with a four-year old daughter.

Based on reporting by AP and TASS

