Moscow: One of the Russian pilots of a fighter jet shot down by Turkey on the Syrian border told state media on Wednesday that there was no prior warning from the Turks.
"There was no warning, not by radio exchange nor visually. There was no contact at all," Konstantin Murakhtin told Russian journalists at Moscow's base in Syria after being rescued by special forces.
Earlier, Russian and Syrian special forces freed the second pilot of a Russian warplane shot down by Turkey and was at a Russian air base in Syria, the defence minister said on Wednesday.
President Vladimir Putin later confirmed the second pilot was "saved" and "he and the other participants.. including in the rescue operation will be awarded state honours".
The plane's other pilot who died as he was fired at from the ground will posthumously be given Russia's highest award for valour, the Hero of Russia medal, Putin said.
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