MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On November 24, a Russian Su-24 jet was brought down over Syria by an air-to-air missile fired from a Turkish F-16 fighter. According to Ankara, the missile was targeted because it violated Turkish airspace. Russia insists that the Su-24 never crossed into Turkish airspace and claims the attack was pre-planned.
Sixty-one percent of those polled said Turkey had no reason to shoot down the Russian aircraft, while only 18 percent found Turkey’s actions justified.
One of the pilots of the downed aircraft was killed by artillery fire from the ground after ejecting, while the co-pilot was rescued and returned to the Russian airbase near Latakia. The incident also claimed the life of a Russian naval infantry soldier, who was killed in the rescue operation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Turkish attack as a "stab in the back" carried out by "accomplices of terrorists."
Four in Five French Citizens Support Russian Military Campaign in Syria
Almost 80 percent of French people approve of the Russian military operation in Syria, a recent survey conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) exclusively for Sputnik revealed Tuesday.
The survey, conducted on December 1-3, involved 1,211 adult respondents and has a statistical discrepancy of no higher than 3.1 percent.
Among the 91 percent of respondents who were aware of the Russian campaign in Syria, 77 percent said they supported Russia’s actions.
Twelve percent said they opposed the operation.
The Russian Aerospace Forces commenced precision airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State (IS, or Daesh in Arabic), a group that is outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries, on September 30, following a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The survey was conducted by IFOP, France’s oldest market research and opinion poll institute, as part of the Sputnik.Polls international public opinion project.
