Russia says one downed pilot held by Syrian army
PARIS - Russia's ambassador to France said on Wednesday that a Russian military pilot shot down over Turkey is in the hands of the Syrian army.
Ambassador Alexander Orlov said on Europe-1 radio that one of the pilots was wounded, then killed on the ground by "jihadists." He said the other "managed to escape and be rescued by the Syrian army." He didn't elaborate.
Orlov denied Turkish government statements that the Russian plane had been warned repeatedly about an airspace violation before shooting it down plane. He accused Turkey of being an "accomplice" of Islamic State extremists and playing an ambiguous role in Syria's civil war.
However he played down concerns of escalation of violence among the international players involved in Syria.
