Russia decides to terminate military contacts with Turkey
Russia has also decided to send a cruiser equipped with air defense system to the shore zone of Latakia, Russian Armed Forces general says
Ankara
ANKARA
Russia’s military contacts with Turkey will be terminated, the Russian military announced Wednesday.
In a statement posted on the official website of Russian Defense Ministry, the chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lt.Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, said: "Contacts with Turkey will be terminated at the military level".
Rudskoy’s remarks came following Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane Tuesday after it violated Turkish airspace.
"Air defense will be reinforced. For that purpose, the Moskva cruiser equipped with air defense system Fort, analogous to the S-300 one, will go to the shore zone of Latakia [in Syria]," he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry warned that all potentially dangerous targets will be destroyed.
A Russian warplane was shot down at the Turkish-Syrian border earlier Tuesday after repeatedly ignoring warnings that it was violating Turkish airspace.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "This tragic event will bear serious consequences for Turkish-Russian relations."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cancelled his scheduled visit to Turkey in the wake of the shooting down of the Russian warplane.
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