Russia deploys defense missiles near Turkish border in response to downed warplane

A screengrab shows a Russia airplane falling from the sky after being struck by a Turkish missile

(Image credit: The Associated Press)

last updated 26 November 2015

Tensions between Russia and Turkey continued to rise Thursday, with Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reporting that the country has deployed long-range air defense missiles to its base in Syria. The missiles will be just 30 miles from the Turkish border, Fox News reports, the latest escalation in the conflict stemming from Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane Tuesday.

While the Russian navigator aboard the plane has said there was no warning before the plane was shot down, audio recordings released by Turkey on Thursday appear to indicate the plane was asked several times to change course because it was approaching Turkish airspace. Turkey has also told the United Nations that two Russian planes ignored its warnings and entered Turkish airspace. Russia, meanwhile, has insisted its plane flew only over Syria — a claim made murky by the fact that Turkey and Syria have a longstanding border dispute in the area over which the warplane was shot down, The New York Times notes.