Russia lodges strong protest to Turkish Ambassador to Moscow - foreign ministry

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russia has lodged a strong protest to the Turkish Ambassador in Moscow over the Su-24 incident, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Wednesday. "We have lodged a strong protest to Turkey’s Ambassador over the incident," the ministry said. On Tuesday, a Turkish F-16 fighter jet brought down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber, which, Ankara alleges, violated the country’s airspace near the Syrian border. The Russian Defense Ministry said the warplane was flying over Syrian territory and had never violated Turkey’s airspace. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the attack on the Russian bomber would have "serious consequences" for the Russian-Turkish relations. According to the Russian leader, the attack of the Turkish Air Force on the Russian warplane, which took part in the anti-terrorist operation in Syria and posed no threat to Turkey, was "a stab in Russia’s back." The crew managed to eject, but one of the two pilots was killed by fire from the ground, the search for the second pilot continues. The search-and-rescue operation involving two Mi-8 helicopters was conducted on Tuesday. One of them was damaged by gunfire and made an emergency landing. One contracted mariner was killed. The search-and-rescue team and the helicopter crew were evacuated and are safe. The helicopter was later destroyed by mortar fire from a territory controlled by militants. Read more