Russia Reportedly to Send Around a Dozen Fighter Jets to Syria

© REUTERS / Defence Ministry of RussiaA pilot of a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet gestures before taking off at the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, Syria
A pilot of a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet gestures before taking off at the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, Syria - Sputnik International
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Russia is considering the possibility of sending 10-12 more fighter aircraft to the Hmeymim Air Base in Syria to ensure cover for each of its 24 bombers, the Russian Kommersant newspaper reports citing a military source.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State radicals’ positions in Syria since the end of September. The military operation was launched at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A man (C) identified in the subtitiles as Al Karar the Iraqi gestures as he speaks at an undisclosed location in this image taken from undated video footage released by Islamic State. Islamic State warned in the new video on November 16, 2015 that countries taking part in air strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and threatened to attack in Washington - Sputnik International
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On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24M jet crashed in Syria with the aircraft’s captain later being shot down from the ground (the co-pilot survived).

The Russian Defense Ministry declared after the incident that all Russian bombers operating in Syria will now be flying only under the cover of fighter aircraft.

"Now each of the 24 [Russian] bombers will be accompanied by a fighter," the Kommersant newspaper said on Thursday, adding that, according to its military source, the Russian General Staff is considering deploying 10-12 fighter jets in Syria for the purpose.

The bomb-door of the Tu-22 M3 missile-carrying bomber, the Russian aerospace forces, on its operational mission to deliver air strikes at ISIS targets in Syria - Sputnik International
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Ankara has claimed that it downed the Russian aircraft because it violated the Turkish airspace. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the plane was downed by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish F-16 jet over Syrian territory, falling 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border.

The Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command have confirmed that the Su-24 plane never crossed into Turkish airspace and was shot down over Syrian territory. The aircraft’s surviving co-pilot told journalists that Su-24 did not receive any warnings from the Turkish side, also saying that the plane did not violate the Turkish airspace.

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