The Minister of Defence of Russia, Army General Sergey Shoygu, considered Turkey’s recent attack on the Russian warplane as a “virtual betrayal,” reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia.

“Because we [i.e. Russia] were not expecting such actions at all from those who declare to the whole world that they take part in the antiterrorist operation against the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations operating in Syria,” Shoygu said at the talk in Moscow with his Armenian colleague, Seyran Ohanyan.

In addition, he thanked the Armenian defense minister for the respective support and sympathy extended, and noted that Armenia was one of the first countries to react to this incident.

On November 24, the Turkish air force shot down a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft/interdictor nearby the Turkish-Syrian border. The warplane was taking part in the antiterrorism operations in Syria. This incident has led to the ongoing tension in Turkey-Russia relations.