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Russian Pilot Denies Violating Turkish Airspace, Receiving Warnings Before Being Shot Down

November 25, 2015
Rescued pilot of the Russian Air Force’s Su-24 jet, Captain Konstantin Murakhtin, center, answers journalists’ questions at Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia. Dmitriy Vinogradov/Sputnik

The surviving pilot from the Russian warplane that was shot down for allegedly violating Turkish airspace denied the breach and said Turkey’s military gave no advance warning before shooting down the jet. “It’s impossible that we violated their airspace even for a second. We were flying at an altitude of 6000 meters in complete weather,” said Captain Konstantin Murahtin, one of the downed jet’s two pilots, adding that the jet’s crew knew the area of the operation “like the back of their hands”. Murahtin also said the Turkish military did not send any warnings via the radio or visually. “There was no contact whatsoever,” said Murahtin, adding that the military could have sent them a visual warning by flying on a parallel path. “The missile hit the back of our plane out of nowhere. We didn’t even have time to make an evasive maneuver.” The jet’s crew members ejected from the warplane but one of the pilots was killed by fire from the ground, Sputnik news agency reported. Turkey’s military forces shot down the bomber jet Murahtin was co-piloting, an SU-24, on Tuesday after it allegedly violated Turkish airspace. “We…


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