MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier on Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 bomber aircraft was downed by an air-to-air missile while carrying out precision strikes against terrorists in northern Syria. The missile was fired by a Turkish F-16 fighter in response to alleged violation of the Turkish airspace by the Russian jet.
"All missions by strike aircraft will be carried out with escort by fighter jets," Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said in a statement.
According to Rudskoy, Russia's Moskva missile cruiser will be redeployed off the Syrian coast near Latakia to strengthen air defenses of the Hmeimim airfield, where the Russian air group is based.
"All military contacts with Turkey will be stopped," the general added.
