Downing of Russian Jet Over Syria is 'Very Serious' - London

The downing of a Russian aircraft over Syria is a very serious incident, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said Tuesday, adding that London has been clarifying the details.

LONDON (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, the Russian Su-24M Fencer bomber jet with two pilots on board crashed on the Syrian border with Turkey. Ankara claims Turkish F-16s shot down the plane because it violated the country's airspace. Contrary to Ankara’s accusations, the Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian military aircraft did not violate Turkish airspace.

"A Russian air force jet was shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border this morning. We are seeking further details urgently. Clearly this is a very serious incident," the spokesperson told RIA Novosti, added that it would be "unwise to comment further until we have more certainty on the facts."

According to initial information of the Russian Defense Ministry, both pilots of the Su-24 were able to catapult. Their current condition and whereabouts have not been officially released.

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said it is too early to draw conclusions on the incident until the whole situation is clear.