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Toner Low: Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Incited By US State Dept.

© Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich / Go to the mediabankBriefing by Russian Foreign Office spokesperson Maria Zakharova
Briefing by Russian Foreign Office spokesperson Maria Zakharova - Sputnik International
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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted emotionally to US State Department spokesman Mark Toner's statement regarding Turkey's downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber.

A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft takes off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. - Sputnik International
US Believes Turkey Shot Down Russia's Su-24 in Syrian Airspace
State Department spokesman Mark Toner's statement regarding Turkey's move to shoot down a Russian warplane prompted an emotional response on Wednesday from Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Toner said that Turkey and the militants it backs in northern Syria had the right to defend themselves against Russian airstrikes.

Zakharova responded by writing on her Facebook page: "Remember these words. Remember forever. And I will never forget [them]. I promise."

The militants reportedly killed one Russian pilot who ejected from the Su-24 jet after it was hit by a Turkish missile on Tuesday.

"If those Syrian Turkmen were actually being attacked by Russian strikes, they have every right to defend themselves," Toner said.

A combination picture taken from video shows a war plane crashing in flames in a mountainous area in northern Syria after it was shot down by Turkish fighter jets near the Turkish-Syrian border November 24, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Facing Consequences: Russia to Respond in Kind to Downing of Su-24 Bomber
When asked whether shooting at unarmed pilots could be considered self-defense, Toner played dumb, saying on behalf of the State Department that "there is no clear understanding of what happened there."

On November 24, a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft was fired upon in Syria, 2.5 miles away from the Turkish border, after it was hit with an air-to-air missile launched from a Turkish F-16 jet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the Turkish downing of the Russian warplane by describing it as a "stab in the back."

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