Downed Russian pilot rescued by Syrian army, says Moscow
A Russian military pilot shot down by Turkish warplanes is in the hands of the Syrian army, according to Russian officials.
Moscow’s ambassador to France Alexander Orlov said one of the pilots was wounded, then killed on the ground by “jihadists” after landing with his parachute.
Mr Orlov told Europe-1 radio the other pilot “managed to escape and be rescued by the Syrian army”.
The Russian ambassador denied Turkish government statements that the Russian plane was warned repeatedly about an air space violation before it was brought down.
He accused Nato member Turkey of being an “accomplice” of Islamic State extremists and playing an ambiguous role in Syria’s civil war.
However he played down concerns of an escalation of violence among the international players involved in Syria.
The incident has revived fears of an escalation in tensions between Nato and Russia, with President Vladimir Putin denouncing a ``stab in the back'' and warning of ``significant consequences''.
It was the first time in half a century that a Nato member had downed a Russian plane and prompted an emergency meeting of the alliance.
One of two helicopters sent to the crash site to search for survivors was hit by rebel fire, killing one serviceman and forcing the chopper to make an emergency landing, the Russian military said.
A US defence official in Washington said the Russian plane flew across a two-mile section of Turkish air space before it was shot down, meaning it was in Turkish skies for a matter of seconds.
The incident highlighted the complexity of Syria’s civil war, where multiple groups with clashing alliances are fighting on the ground and the sky is crowded with aircraft bombing various targets.
Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said: “As we have repeatedly made clear we stand in solidarity with Turkey and support the territorial integrity of our Nato ally.”
He urged “calm and de-escalation” and renewed contacts between Moscow and Ankara.
Russia has long been at odds with Nato, which it accuses of encroaching on Russia’s borders, as well as with Turkey’s determination to oust Syrian president Bashar Assad, a long-time Moscow ally.
