Russian military helicopter Mi-8 was shot down in Syria’s northwestern province Idlib, said the Russian Foreign Ministry, quoted by Russian media.

Russian authorities are investigating the fate of the three crew members and two officers from the center of reconciliation who were of the board of the downed helicopter. Later, the Kremlin announced that all five were killed.

“On August 1, a Russian military transport Mi-8 helicopter was shot down from the ground en route to the Hmeimim airbase after delivering humanitarian aid to the city of Aleppo. A crew of three and two officers of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation were on board,” explained from the Russian Defense Ministry.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the people on board died heroically in an attempt to minimize civilian casualties on the ground.

The Russian military highlighted that the fate of the Russian troops is being investigated on all possible channels. Photos on “Twitter”, however, showed locals to drag the body of a man who supposedly was on board. In the social network appeared information about cheering rebels, boasting that they downed the Russian machine.

On July 8 DAESH (“Islamic State”) shot down a Syrian helicopter Mi-25, which was piloted by two Russian officers.