A Ukrainian conflict-monitoring organization awarded Russian pilot Igor Matkovky a medal of honor, after he crashed his jet into the sea off the coast of Syria.
The organization, known as The Peacemaker, reportedly gathers information on Eastern Ukrainian separatists fighting the Ukrainian government. Russia actively sponsors and provides military assistance to the separatist organizations, and illegally annexed Ukrainian Crimea in 2014.
“After thinking over all the ‘pros’ and ‘cons,’ we unanimously decided that our former compatriot (born in Crimea, Ukraine – UT), as an exception, still worthy of promotion for the damage done to the Navy of aggressor state,” The Peacemaker statement reads.
Russia sent its only aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean sea in October to assist Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. Russia and Assad have undertaken a relentless bombing campaign against rebel-held areas of Eastern Aleppo, where Syrian government forces have made recent advances for the first time in nearly five years.
The aircraft carrier is beset by problems since arriving to the Mediterranean Sea, suffering the loss of two aircraft in less than a month. The ship was built in 1985 and is historically plagued with engineering malfunctions. Both Russian pilots survived the crashes.
Matkovky deserved the medal for “destruction of the fourth generation MiG-29K carrier-based multi-role fighter in the Mediterranean Sea, which abruptly halted using it for war crimes related to the mass killings of peaceful Syrian citizens,” the statement said.
The Peacemakers close with a final shot at Russia and the pilot, saying, “We believe that our Medal of Honor will be a pleasant surprise for Igor Matkovsky in the twilight of his military career. Medal and an award-book our Center intends to deposit in the Security Service of Ukraine for the subsequent awarding of Igor Matkovsky.”
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