Moscow has denied claims concerning its “guidance” in downing a Turkish jet in Syria and “eliminating" two pilots after the crash in last July.
Moscow has denied claims concerning its “guidance” in downing a Turkish jet in Syria and “eliminating" two pilots after the crash in last July, Russia Today news website reported.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the information presented by the Saudi-owned news channel on Saturday is “utter nonsense,” in response to Al Arabiya news network claims asserting the Russian involvement based on “highly-classified docs.”
“It is ridiculous even to comment on this nonsense, but, unfortunately, we have to,” the Monday statement read.
“These far-from-harmless fantasies are based on 'intelligence databases,' obtained by Al Arabiya from open sources, including the official website of the RIA Novosti news agency."
“The authors of this forgery did not even bother to remove the respective logo from the allegedly ‘secret document,” it continued.
The response from the Russian Foreign Ministry follows an Al Arabyia claim of evidence showing that Russia was involved in downing a Turkish fighter jet in Syria in July, as well as the subsequent capture of two pilots. The allegations came out on a program aired on Saturday as part of a larger, special news magazine purportedly based on newly-leaked Syrian intelligence.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich accused some Arab media of “unscrupulous and outright lies” concerning the situation in Syria, allowing, though, that the world has gotten used to it.
“Of course, not claiming influence on the editorial policy of these media, we would like to advise the authors of such anti-Russian fantasies … to think more not only about moral principles, but also about their professional viability,” the statement read.
Al Arabiya insisted however that the “highly-classified Syrian security documents” were obtained with the assistance of members of the Syria opposition.
Syria’s anti-aircraft artillery shot down a Turkish fighter jet on July 22 because, according to a Syrian military spokesperson at the time, it violated Syria’s airspace.
