Syrian rebels have killed a Russian pilot after his plane was shot down in the country's northwest.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the pilot was killed after landing alive on the ground near the rebel-held town of Sarqeb, in Idlib province.
Syrian troops have been trying to reach the town under the cover of Russian airstrikes.
The Russian Defence Ministry said one of its aircraft had been downed during operations in Syria and its pilot was dead.
A Syrian militant in the area told Associated Press the Russian pilot was shot and killed by rebels when he resisted capture by opening fire from his pistol on the militants who tried to capture him alive.
The aircraft shot down by rebels, a Sukhoi 25 jet, is used by Russian forces for close air support.
The opposition's Aleppo Media Centre says it was a Russian-made SU25 but did not say whether it was Russian.
Russia is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and has been waging a military campaign on behalf of his forces since 2015.
Since then, Syrian government forces have captured wide parts of the country and in recent weeks, but Idlib remains a stronghold for rebels.
Rebel groups, including the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are known to be operating in the region.
Government forces launched a major offensive in Idlib in December last year, which was supported by Russian airstrikes.
Earlier in the day, the Observatory and the media arm of al-Qaida-linked militants both reported intense airstrikes on the rebel-held stronghold.
The Observatory said there had been more than 35 airstrikes on Saraqeb since late Friday, adding that many of its residents were fleeing the town.
The UN says more than 270,000 have been displaced in Idlib because of the government onslaught.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
