MOSCOW- Russian Interfax News Agency reported Wednesday that a Russian source stressed that the Turkish warplane which was shot down by the Syrian air defenses recently provoked these defenses through breaching the Syrian airspace twice.
Russian Interfax News Agency quoted a source as saying in a statement on Wednesday that "The actions of the Turkish warplane were no doubt a provocation. Otherwise how would we explain the fact that the warplane flew twice, albeit short, over the Syrian airspace."
The source pointed out that the crew of the Turkish jet has tried hard to attract the fire of the Syrian air defenses.
"The crew had to have only one motive for such actions which is to test the combat readiness of the Syrian air defense systems and also to conduct a reconnaissance of the strength and capabilities of the Syrian air defense systems in the coastal direction," it said.