Turkey Russia jet: Marine killed in pilot rescue bid
LONDON. KAZINFORM A Russian marine has been killed on a helicopter mission to rescue the crew of a jet downed by Turkey near the Syrian border on Tuesday.
He died when his helicopter came under fire from rebels in northern Syria, where the plane crashed.
Rebel fire from the ground killed one of the jet's two crew members after they ejected.
The head of Nato said it stood in solidarity with Turkey as the Kremlin warned of "serious consequences".
Turkey said the jet had strayed into its airspace but Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted the Su-24 had been hit by an air-to-air missile while flying over Syrian territory.
Nato's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he backed the Turks' assessment.
"We stand in solidarity with Turkey and support the territorial integrity of our Nato ally, Turkey,'' he said after an emergency meeting of the bloc. But he also called for both sides to de-escalate the situation.
President Putin described the downing of the plane as a "stab in the back".
Breaking off military contacts with Turkey, Russia's defence ministry said a cruiser equipped with an air defence system would be deployed in the Mediterranean to destroy "any targets representing a potential danger" for Russian forces in Syria.
Russian bombers carrying out air strikes over Syria will now be escorted by fighters, the military said.
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