World leaders scramble to defuse 'monstrous' new crisis over Russia's downed jet: Putin ratchets the tension by dispatching warship to Mediterranean as Moscow expert warns war is 'likely'

Last seconds of doomed warplane: The moment the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet was shot down by Turkish F-16 fighter planes yesterday

A 'monstrous' new crisis has begun after Turkey shot down a Russian military plane, sparking fears of a war.

Vladimir Putin has accused the Turks of a 'stab in the back', branding them 'accomplices of terrorists'.

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Russia warned the incident – the first time a Nato country has downed a Russian military jet since 1953 – would have 'serious consequences'. And a leading Moscow military analyst said war was 'most likely'.

Putin has broken off any military contact with Turkey in the fight against ISIS and is deploying a warship, with an air defence system, to the Mediterranean Sea. The cruiser will destroy 'any targets representing a potential danger' to Russian forces in Syria.

Its defence ministry also said that Russian bombers carrying out airstrikes in Syria will now be escorted by jet fighters.

Britain has already declared that military back-up is on standby to support Turkey in any revenge attack by Putin's forces. President Barack Obama also pledged America's support for Turkey following a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Warning: Russian president Vladimir Putin accused the Turks of a 'stab in the back', branding them 'accomplices of terrorists'

Two Russian pilots were shot dead by Syrian rebels as they parachuted from their burning warplane, it was claimed yesterday.

A third was killed during a mission to rescue the pair as another rebel group shot a helicopter with an anti-tank missile.

Disturbing footage shows a dead pilot covered in blood on the ground as anti-government fighters gather chanting 'Allahu Akbar' – Arabic for 'God is great'.

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Another video appeared to show forces shooting at the pilots with machine guns after they had ejected from the Sukhoi Su-24, which had been blasted by two Turkish F-16 jets for violating the country's airspace. Gunfire can be heard as one of the rebels cries: 'Don't shoot, let's capture them as hostages.'

The rebels – ethnic Turks backed by Turkey and fighting dictator Bashar al-Assad, who has been supported by Russia – said the pilots were killed as they parachuted over north-west Syria.

Last night Russia confirmed the death of only one of the pilots and the crew member killed during the rescue mission. Footage also emerged of rebels firing the anti-tank missile at one of the two helicopters sent to rescue the pilots.

On display: Alpaslan Celik (centre), a deputy commander in a Syrian Turkmen brigade, holding handles believed to be parts of a parachute

Incoming: One of the pilots can be seen parachuting down after ejecting from the plane (left), as the wreckage burns (right)

Fire: The Syrian Free Army claims that this is the moment when they destroyed a Russian army helicopter which had been sent on a search and rescue mission to save the two Russian pilots of the jet which was shot down by Turkey this morning

Destroyed: A rebel spokesman said troops fired a Tao missile that destroyed the helicopter after it landed and its pilots had left the aircraft

The US-trained Free Syrian Army's First Coastal Division brought down the Russian rescue helicopter on Turkmen Mountain. A video showed a soldier dressed in military fatigues firing a missile, before saying: 'Allahu Akbar.'

The helicopter, in dense woodland, can then be seen burning in the background. A Russian military spokesman said it was one of two helicopters taking part in the operation. The rest of the crew was taken to the air base used by Russia in Syria.

The area where the Russian warplane went down is mainly populated by Turkmen – Syrian citizens but ethnic Turks – and is the focus of a Syrian government offensive.

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Russia denied the plane had been inside Turkish airspace, but Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said an assessment showed it had.

Turkey said the plane entered its airspace for 17 seconds, despite repeated warnings. It crashed in Syria, 2.5 miles from the border.

As Britain scrambled to respond, Whitehall sources said up to 12 Typhoon warplanes – designed for air-to-air combat – were on stand-by if Turkey requested assistance defending against Russian incursions.


US President Obama and Erdogan spoke by phone yesterday about the need to de-escalate tensions with Russia after Turkey, the White House said

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said the potential repercussions of the incident is 'a matter of great concern'

Flight: This map shows the route of the Russian jet (shown in red), based on data released by the Turkish government, including where it violated Turkish airspace, and the area in the Turkomen Mountains where it crashed

This image released by the Turkish Army reportedly shows the flight radar tracking the movement of the downed Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet (in red), showing where it entered Turkish air space and where it went down. The blue line illustrates the Turkish border with Syria

U.S. President Obama and Erdogan spoke by phone yesterday about the need to de-escalate tensions with Russia after Turkey, the White House said.

Obama expressed 'U.S. and NATO support for Turkey's right to defend its sovereignty,' a statement read.

It added: 'The leaders agreed on the importance of de-escalating the situation and pursuing arrangements to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.'

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said the potential repercussions of the incident is 'a matter of great concern'.

He added: 'We call on all parties to exercise restraint in respect of this incident.' 

Australia has six F/A-18A Hornet fighters flying missions against Islamic State militant targets in Iraq and Syria as part of the U.S.-led coalition.

He said there was a memorandum of understanding between the coalition forces and the Russians setting out rules for air operations over Syria 'to avoid incidents like the one we've just seen.'

'We are paying very close attention to that and of course the safety of our personnel.

'It is essential for all of the parties in that increasingly complex conflict to have a high degree of awareness of where each other's military assets are being deployed.'

Turnbull said there was a strong momentum to find a political resolution to the Syrian conflict, notwithstanding the shooting down of the Russian plane.

Handles: Mr Celik is seen holding what are said to be parts of a parachute used by one of the pilots who ejected when the jet was blown up

'Proof'? This image (left) accompanied by a video (right) claims to show one of the Russian pilots found dead by Turkmen rebels

'I can't describe it in any other way. We will never tolerate such crimes like the one committed today.'

Sir Michael Graydon, former head of the RAF, said: 'It horrifies me that the Russians were stupid enough to fly either that close to the border or violate the border.

'But of all the tensions in that part of the world was it absolutely necessary to shoot the aircraft down? One aircraft was not going to change the course of history and now it probably will. Shooting down the aircraft has caused a monstrous diplomatic problem.'

One of Moscow's most respected military analysts said war was 'most likely'. Pavel Felgenhauer said Turkey was seeking to protect an area in northern Syria controlled by its allies, the Turkmen.

The analyst said Mr Putin must either accept this zone 'or start a war with Turkey' which it could win only by going nuclear.

DOWNING OF RUSSIAN JET ADDS TO 'TOXIC COCKTAIL' IN THE REGION, A MIDDLE EAST EXPERT HAS WARNED
Turkey shooting down a Russian jet is just proof of the 'toxic cocktail' of dangers in the region which could erupt into crisis with devastating effect, an expert has warned.

Middle East expert Shashank Joshi, from the Royal United Services Institute, said the skies over Syria and Turkey are an 'incredibly crowded airspace', with planes from both nations and members of the US-led coalition against IS - including the UK - operating.

Turkey, a Nato member, has already complained about Russian incursions into its skies and last month the alliance condemned the 'unacceptable violations of Turkish airspace by Russian combat aircraft'.

Mr Joshi said: 'The situation is dangerous because Russia is quite probably deliberately probing Turkish airspace both for military reasons and political reasons.'

The Russians will be testing the military responses of the Nato member, but also carrying out the same 'psychological intimidation' tactics used in the Baltic and North Atlantic, he suggested.

The combination of the crowded airspace, Russian probing tactics and the diplomatic tensions create a 'real toxic cocktail that can easily erupt into crisis', he warned.

Ankara will be 'furious' at the incursion and Russia can expect Nato to strike a 'tough' note, but behind the scenes there will be intense diplomatic efforts to calm tensions.

But if Moscow responds in a provocative way, there is a risk of the crisis escalating.

Mr Joshi warned: 'These things always proceed in a very unpredictable fashion. We have seen how conflicts can begin when there are large alliances.' 

Blast: Footage of Mr Rumyantsev was followed by the release of a second video, claiming to show members of the US-trained Free Syrian Army firing an anti-tank missile and destroying the helicopter sent by Russian forces to rescue the surviving pilot

Shocking: A body said to be that of a Russian pilot shot down over the Turkey-Syria border is surrounded and displayed by armed locals

Video claims to show Russian pilot dead on Syrian border

Daily Mail Uk