One can imagine Vladimir Putin won’t be all that stoked about this breaking news, a Russian plane shot down by Turkey after they said it ignored warnings and violated their airspace.

The footage above comes from the Turkish-Syrian border, although rather predictably versions differ depending on whom you speak with. CNN with more:

Turkey’s semi-official Anadolu news agency quoted Turkish presidential sources in reporting that the Russian SU-24 was “hit within the framework of engagement rules” in Syria’s Bayirbucak area, near the border with Turkey.

But Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency said that “According to preliminary reports, the plane was gunned down from the ground.”

Russian officials denied that the plane had violated Turkish airspace. Both pilots ejected from the plane, but their fate is unknown, Sputnik said.

It is feared the incident will escalate already heightened tensions in the area, the fracturing relations between countries hampering the region’s ability to counter ISIS:

Sajjan Gohel, international security director for the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a think tank, described the downing of the plane as “a very significant escalation.”

“It’s very much the last thing that’s needed right now, especially in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, when there was hope that Russia could form an alliance with France and with the United States against ISIS,” Gohel said. “This is going to complicate things. This is going to add unnecessary tensions that really weren’t required at this critical juncture.”

Here’s hoping it doesn’t hinder the concerted and sustained efforts to dismantle ISIS, a common evil even squabbling nations should agree on.

[source:cnn]