A Russian Su-24 fighter has been shot down in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding the plane hadn’t violated Turkish airspace and was flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters.
“Today an aircraft from the Russian Air Force in the Syrian Arab Republic crashed in Syria supposedly shot down from the ground,” the ministry said in a statement.
The pilots managed to eject, the ministry said, adding their fate is as yet unknown.
Russian military helicopters search for pilots of downed jet
Russian military helicopters were searching for the pilots from a warplane downed near the Syrian border on Tuesday, Turkey’s Dogan news agency reported.
“During the flight, the aircraft was flying only within the borders of Syria. That was registered by objective monitoring data,” the ministry added.
Reports of a downed plane emerged earlier in Turkish media. A Habertürk TV reporter on the scene said the aircraft “turned into a fireball.” Numerous witnesses wrote on social media, saying thick plumes of smoke have been rising from the jet crash site.
The plane reportedly crashed in a village mostly populated by Syrian Turkmen. The place has been a hotspot between the opposition and the Syrian Army.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has met with officials from the Foreign Ministry. He instructed them to consult with NATO and the UN on the latest developments on the Syrian border, Davutoglu’s office said in a statement.
