Russia dispatches missiles to Turkish border after jet shot down

RUSSIA is dispatching missiles to the Turkish border region as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

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CRISIS POINT: Vladimir Putin has dispatched anti-aircraft missiles to the Turkish border region

And the country has lashed out at Turkey, saying its territory has been used by terrorists to plan overseas attacks.
The Kremlin's defence boss announced the missile move after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane yesterday.
Sergei Shoigu said the missiles would be sent to the Hemeimeem air base in the Syrian province of Latakia.

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DEVASTATING: The range of the missile system when in place

And with the region bordering Turkey, it will mean a stash of S-400 anti-aircraft missiles on Turkey's doorstep.
The advanced weapons system can be used to shoot planes at long distance, with it's 250 mile range putting it in easy reach of the border.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, now says "terrorists" have used Turkey to prepare attacks in other countries.
And he rebuffed claims from the country's government that he had agreed to meet, saying he had not accepted any of the "numerous" offers.
While Ramzan Kadyrov, the notorious warlord who runs the Russian republic of Chechnya, has warned Turkey will regret the incident for "a very long time".

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UP IN SMOKE: The Russian fighter jet catches fire before crashing

Moscow and Ankara are today locked in a war of words, with neither backing down over the incident.
The former has pledged to continue bombing raids on rebel-held positions near the border, despite the Turkish PM insisting "not one single" ISIS fighter operates there.
While the latter has repeated accusations that Russia is attacking ethnic Turks – known as Turkmen – living close to its boundary with Syria.

A recording of the fateful moment the two Russian jet pilots were warned not to cross the border has emerged.
In the audio tape, a jet fighter can be heard saying: "Turkish air force speaking. You are approaching Turkish airspace."
"Change your heading south immediately," the fighter pilot warns, before the Russian warplane is downed.
Tensions are running high after the two F16 jets shot down the aircraft yesterday, saying it entered their territory.

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BACK OFF: A recording has emerged of Turkey warning the Russian pilots to steer clear

Vladimir Putin reacted with fury to the clash, branding it a "stab in the back" and promising "serious consequences".
He denied the plane had entered Turkish airspace and said he could prove it, before reportedly dispatching a Russian warship to the Mediterranean.
Moscow has also refuted the claim that its fighter was warned to back off multiple times in the space of a few minutes.

Turkish military official says fighter jets shot down 'Russian military plane' after it violated country’s airspace, which Russia denies.

Now, with Turkey part of NATO – and other member countries obliged to come to its aid in a fight – the world is on the brink of global conflict.
Both pilots aboard the Russian jet parachuted clear of the crash site in Syria, but footage soon emerged showing rebels shooting at them as they approached the ground.
Initial reports suggested both were killed, but the Kremlin's ambassador in France said one was killed "in a savage way" by jihadis while the other escaped to safety.

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BLOWN TO BITS: A Syrian rebel blows up the Russian rescue chopper

Two Russian rescue helicopters were rushed to the crash site in a bid to save the men, but one was forced to land after being damaged by gunfire and then blown up on camera.
One of those aboard died and the rest are believed to have got to safety.
The anti-tank gun used to destroy the craft is thought to be American-made.