Russian helicopter on aid mission shot down, killing 5 people on board

A Russian helicopter has been shot down today. The helicopter was shot down after delivering aid to the Syrian city of Aleppo, killing all five crew members on board.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by ground fire in Idlib province as it returned to base.

"Those who were aboard the helicopter, according to information from the Defense Ministry, have died heroically because they were attempting to steer the machine to minimize the casualties on the ground," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The helicopter downing comes amid deadly fighting in eastern Aleppo, where rebels are trying to break a Syrian government siege in the country's five-year civil war.