Surviving Pilot of Russian Warplane Says the Plane Received No Warning from Turkey and Did Not Fly Over Turkish Air Space

The Turkish army released a series of audio recordings of apparent warnings issued to a Russian jet before it was downed near the Syrian border. "This is Turkish Air Force speaking on guard. You are approaching Turkish airspace. Change your heading south immediately," a voice in one of the recordings can be heard saying in English, repeating the message several times. The surviving pilot of the Su-24 bomber shot down on November 24th said earlier that no warning had been given and the aircraft did not violate the Turkish air space, although Turkey insists that it gave 10 warnings in five minutes. Turkey says its F-16 jets shot down the Russian plane under its rules of engagement, while Moscow says the act was a "planned provocation." The downing has threatened ties between two major rival players in the Syrian war and raised fears it could escalate into a wider geopolitical conflict. [AFP]

Surviving crew member of Russian jet says no warning from Turkey

November 25, 2015

Reuters - The surviving crew member of a Russian warplane shot down by Turkey said on Wednesday the plane received no warnings from the Turkish Air Force and did not fly over Turkish air space, Russian news agencies reported.

Turkey shot down the Russian plane near the Syrian border on Tuesday, saying it had violated its air space, in one of the most serious publicly acknowledged clashes between a NATO member country and Russia for half a century.

Navigator Konstantin Murakhtin was rescued by Russian and Syrian special forces after ejecting from the plane but the pilot was shot dead by rebels as he parachuted to the ground.

"There were no warnings, either by radio or visually. There was no contact whatsoever," TASS quoted Murakhtin as saying at a hospital in the Syrian province of Latakia, where Russia has an airbase.

"If they wanted to warn us, they could have shown themselves by taking a parallel course. There was nothing. And the missile hit the tail of our aircraft suddenly, we did not see it in time to do an anti-missile maneuver."

Ankara has said the plane was repeatedly warned to change course after encroaching on Turkish air space but Moscow has denied that its warplane flew over Turkish territory.

Murakhtin also said his jet did not leave Syrian airspace.

"I could see perfectly on the map and on the ground where the border was and where we were. There was no danger of entering Turkey," he was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Syrian paper recounts rescue of downed Russian pilot

November 26, 2015

AFP - Syrian special forces launched an operation "behind enemy lines" to rescue the surviving crew member of a Russian warplane downed by Turkey, Syria's Al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday.

"Eleven members of an elite unit of the air force intelligence service and a (Russian-language) translator, led by an officer, infiltrated 3.5 kilometres (two miles) behind enemy lines in the Al-Atira region on Tuesday and recovered the airman," the pro-government newspaper said.

Al-Atira is an area of Latakia province, around 12 kilometres (eight miles) from the border with Turkey.
Syrian forces launched the operation after Turkey downed the Russian jet on Tuesday morning, forcing the two-man crew to eject over rebel-held territory.

According to Al-Watan, the team set out in late morning from the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, where Russian forces are concentrated.

The plane's pilot had already been killed by rebel fire as he parachuted down but a Russian drone spotted navigator Konstantin Murakhtin in hiding on the ground.

The "Russian drone communicated to Syrian special forces the navigator's location, as well as where the terrorist groups were," Al-Watan said, referring to the rebels.

"He was spotted thanks to his GPS. It was a race against time because the terrorists were also looking for him."

The paper said the special forces team used the codeword "Costa" for Konstantin, and the Syrian flag to identify themselves to the navigator as rescuers.

It said the rescue team clashed with rebels during the 12-hour operation, but were able to recover Murakhtin, who was injured in the leg.

Speaking to Russian state media on Wednesday, the navigator gave no details of his rescue, which the Russian military said involved its own special forces working alongside Syrian troops.

"I feel good in general. The military doctors work miracles," he said, speaking at the Hmeimim base.

"I am waiting impatiently to be released by the doctors so I can immediately return to service."

Russia has not released the name of the slain pilot, although President Vladimir Putin has said he will posthumously be given Russia's highest award for valour, the Hero of Russia medal.

His body is believed to still be in the hands of rebel forces in Latakia province.

Murakhtin is also to be decorated along with soldiers involved in the rescue operation, including one Moscow has said was killed when his Mi-8 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing after being hit by gunfire.