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Russian foreign minster calls plane downing 'planned provocation' (w/video)

 
Still, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russia is “not going to war against Turkey.”
Still, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russia is “not going to war against Turkey.”
Published Nov. 26, 2015

MOSCOW — The Kremlin sharpened its accusations Wednesday in the wake of Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane, as Moscow's top diplomat called the incident a "planned provocation" that has dealt a major blow to already fragile relations with NATO.

But Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also tamped down speculation of a military response by Russia after the jet broke apart in flames along the Turkish-Syrian border. "We're not going to war against Turkey," he said after talks with his Turkish counterpart.

Still, Russia moved to strengthen its forces in Syria, saying new anti-missile systems would be deployed at an air base less than 20 miles from the Turkish frontier.

Lavrov's comments offered the clearest signals that Moscow views the downing as more than an accidental mishap while Russia steps up its airstrikes in Syria to support the embattled government of President Bashar Assad.

Turkey and its Western allies have backed rebel groups seeking to topple Assad in Syria's nearly five-year civil war. Pentagon officials, meanwhile, have raised worries about possible mishaps between Russia's air campaign and a U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State.

"We have serious doubts this was an unintended incident and believe this is a planned provocation," Lavrov said after discussions with Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu. Lavrov did not elaborate on Moscow's claims.

In a show of Russia's deepening military involvement, it plans to deploy powerful S-400 anti-missile systems to Russia's Khmeimim airbase in northwestern Syria. The batteries, with a range of 250 miles, have the potential to create headaches for Turkish and other aircraft in the U.S.-led coalition targeting the Islamic State.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, set some limits on Russia's military role, promising not to send ground troops to help bolster Assad.

NATO-member Turkey said its F-16s shot down the Russian Su-24 jet after it crossed into Turkish airspace and received multiple warnings. Russia insists its pilots had not crossed into Turkish airspace and were not contacted by Turkish authorities.