Russian jet is shot down in Kizildag region of Hatay province in Turkey, near the border with Syria - 11/24/2015(Fatih Akta / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that one of the two pilots of the Russian airliner shot down by Turkey was rescued. On Tuesday, the Turkish army shot down the Su-24 fighter near the border with Syria, claiming that he had invaded its airspace, which Putin denies.
According to Russian authorities, the Su-24's crew ejected from the game as he was hit. Preliminary information suggests that one of the pilots died in the air, hit by shots made from the floor. A video obtained by Reuters shows the body of an officer, apparently dead, surrounded by Turkmen rebels in Syria.
On Russian television, Putin confirmed that the other pilot was rescued in an operation that lasted 12 hours and is safe now in a Russian air base in Syria. On Tuesday, national authorities said a soldier from Russia died during searches by the crew of the Su-24, after the helicopter he was being hit by gunfire.
The Turkish authorities claim that overthrew the Russian fighter to invade its airspace and did not respond to several warnings of the military. According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the military did not know the nationality of jet and were just ensuring border security. Already Russia claims that the plane remained all the time in Syria and that the Turks have not tried any visual or radio contact with the Su-24.
Putin saw action in Turkey as a "stab in the back", accused the country of being an accomplice of terrorism and said the incident "will have serious consequences for relations" between the two countries. The Russian general staff suspended all military contacts with the Turks and has advised its citizens to travel to Turkey.
Russia increased its offensive against Syria, especially after confirming that the Islamic State (EI) was responsible for the crash of a Russian airliner in Egypt in October. On Monday, the Defense Ministry of the country said it carried out 472 air strikes against Syria last weekend.
(From the Newsroom)
