Turkey kills a Russian jet What we know about the downed Sukhoi Su-24 in Syria
A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft was shot down in Syria earlier today, while conducting airstrikes against terrorist targets near the Turkish border. Turkey says the plane violated its airspace 10 times within a five-minute period, which defense officials in Moscow flatly deny. The Kremlin has not said anything about the fate of the jet's two pilots, though there are unofficial reports that at least one of the men has been killed. Meduza summarizes what we know so far about this international incident.
A Sukhoi Su-24 jet was shot down on the morning of November 24 by two Turkish F-16s. Turkey says Russia's plane violated its airspace. The Russian Defense Ministry says that the jet never crossed into Turkey. The plane crashed inside Syria, in territory controlled by Syrian Turkmen, who are engaged in a civil war against the government forces of Bashar al-Assad. Both pilots are known to have ejected before the plane crashed.
Russian officials have said nothing publicly about the fate of the two pilots. Syrian Turkmen, meanwhile, claim to have fired at the pilots as they parachuted to the ground. Videos and photographs have appeared online showing the mangled remains of an unidentified man (purportedly one of the Russian pilots). Investigators at Bellingcat have concluded that the corpse is dressed in a uniform that closely resembles those worn by Russian Air Force pilots. According to the website 74.ru, the images show the body of Sergei Rumyantsev, who was stationed at the Chelyabinsk Shagol Airbase. Syrian Turkmen say they've also killed the second pilot, though there's no evidence yet, official or unofficial, to prove this.
The Russian government has reacted harshly to Turkey's attack on its military. President Vladimir Putin announced to reporters that Turkey had no reason to fire on the aircraft, saying it was flying outside Turkish airspace. Putin called the attack a "stab in the back," delivered to Russia by "terrorists' accomplices." He has promised "serious consequences" for Russian-Turkish relations.
Turkey insists that it had the right to shoot down the Russian plane. According to Turkish law, defense forces are allowed to fire on aircraft that come within five kilometers (about three miles) of Turkey's borders. According to Vladimir Putin, the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 was fired upon when it was one kilometer from the border and crashed four kilometers from the border. Turkish officials have released a map claiming that the Russian jet crossed into Turkish airspace. Ankara says the jet violated Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period, before its F-16s opened fire.
NATO is holding an emergency session to discuss the downed Russian aircraft. The meeting has been called by Turkey. Vladimir Putin said of this meeting that it is as if the Turks wish to "put NATO at the service of ISIL," emphasizing that it was Turkey that attacked Russia and not the reverse.
This is not the first time Turkey has accused Russian planes of violating its airspace. Russia has also admitted that its planes sometimes cross into the territory of states neighboring Syria. Moscow says this occurs when weather conditions necessitate alternate routes.