The missiles can reach targets travelling 250miles away, giving Russia a reach across huge swathes of the conflict

A furious Vladimir Putin has now deployed his fearsome, state of the art S-400 anti-aircraft systems into Syria

But he has said he will ask to remain stationed in Syria so he can carry out 'pay back' for his commander


The Russian jet pilot rescued by special forces from a forest in northern Syria has vowed to continue flying missions over the country as 'payback' for his commander.

Captain Konstantin Murakhtin, who was evacuated from rebel-held territory after his plane was downed, has also claimed the pilots were given no warning they were violating Turkish airspace.

His co-pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, was killed by local rebels after their plane was shot down by the Turkish military on Tuesday.

And despite the international community's best efforts to reduce tensions, President Vladimir Putin has deployed his feared S-400 battalions to Latakia, Syria, in response.

Military analysts said the anti-aircraft system – with a missile range of 250miles – was a ‘formidable potential threat’ to coalition aircraft flying over Syria, Iraq, Turkey and even as far as Cyprus, where RAF jets are stationed.

It comes as Turkey released a statement claiming it had no idea the jet it downed was Russian.

Captain Konstantin Murakhtin was one of the two pilots of the Russian fighter jet shot down by Turkish F16 pilots near the Syrian border on Tuesday - he has now vowed to continue flying missions

Both Captain Murakhtin (left) and Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov (right) parachuted out of the jet, but only Captain Murakhtin survived, while his co-pilot was shot and killed by Syrian rebel forces

Tensions: Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft systems (pictured) are highly advanced and capable of striking jets travelling up to 250miles away

Captain Murakhtin is appealing to his commanders to allow him to remain in Syria.

He said: ‘I can’t wait to return [to flying] … I have a debt to repay to the commander.’ The airman told Russian TV that he wanted to keep flying missions from the base to ‘pay them back for my commander’.

He also flatly denied there were any warnings from Turkish F16 pilots that his plane was about to be shot out of the sky.

He said: 'There was no warning, by radio exchange nor visually. There was no contact at all. The Turks did not get in touch with us.'

Captain Murakhtin is from a family of Russian air force pilots - his father was a lieutenant colonel, and also a co-pilot in charge of navigation.

He continued: 'We were flying at about 6,000-metre altitude. The weather was sunny, what we call "million-by-million". All the flight before the moment when the missile exploded was completely under my control.

'I could clearly see with the map and visually where the borders were and where we were. There even wasn't a threat of entering Turkey.'

He was speaking at an press conference held at the Russian Hemeimeem air base in Syria after his rescue.

'If they wanted to warn us, they could have showed themselves by flying at a parallel course. But there was nothing. And the missile hit the tail of our plane all of a sudden. We didn't see it visually. To have enough time to do an anti-missile manoeuvre' he added.

Captain Murakhtin told of how he landed in rebel held territory where he spent several hours hiding in a forest before being found using his radio beacon.

He was rescued after an 18-strong Syrian SWAT team backed by six fighters from the elite division of Shia Hezbollah movement, and then spirited to the Hemeimeem air base.

Captain Murakhtin was captured by rebel forces on the ground after parachuting from the jet, and was saved by Russian military in a 12-hour joint operation with Syrian government forces

Safe and sound: Captain Murakhtin, reportedly pictured with his wife, is now at a Russian air base in Syria

Russian military expert Vladislav Shurygin said the Turks had been ‘catching’ Russian planes for days, and when the Russian jets took off, they were to be accompanied by up to six Turkish F-16s in the air.

He said the missile fired from one of the Turkish jets hit the engine of the plane and both of the pilots ejected. Colonel Peshkov, 52, was shot dead in the air by rebels on the ground. Disturbing footage shows the pilot, still wearing his seat belt, covered in blood and bruises after being captured by Turkmen. The rebels claimed they had also shot dead Captain Murakhtin.

But he survived after landing in an area covered by forest, Mr Shurygin said, adding: ‘It gave him some advantage and he managed to escape from the place where he landed before a group of Islamists arrived.

‘All day long, gangs of militants were checking the area searching for a Russian aviator but couldn’t find him… An active radio exchange began which means that Turkish interceptors immediately passed the information about the aviator’s location to the militants.

'When it got dark, several of our SWAT teams went to the area, as did a Syrian SWAT operating in this area.’

Meanwhile announcing the deployment of the S-400 yesterday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said: ‘It is designed to eliminate all modern means of air and space attacks.’ The system can fire at warplanes between 75 and 250 miles away.

Last night an expert from the Royal United Services Institute warned it posed a threat to British warplanes in the region as they were unable to avoid detection.

Justin Bronk said: ‘With its extremely long range and advanced radar and missile-tracking capabilities, it will be a formidable potential threat to all coalition aircraft over Syria, parts of Iraq and Turkey, and even as far as Cyprus.’

He said only the US F-22 and B-2 stealth aircraft could fly close to the system without being detected. Air Commodore Andrew Lambert said: ‘This is Putin upping the ante. He is making a clear signal that he has the capability and is upping the escalation and will want to see what Nato does in response.’

Russian soldier named Alexandr Pozynich was killed during the 12-hour operation to rescue Captain Murakhtin

Honoured soldier: Naval Infantry Soldier Alexandr Pozynich, a married father-of-one, will be awarded the Order of Courage

A defence source said: ‘This is posturing by the Russians. I imagine they will angle the system to where they perceive there to be enemy aircraft, in this case it will most likely be the Turks.’

Russians were advised not to travel to Turkey, with Mr Putin warning they ‘could be exposed to considerable danger’.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken with his Russian counterpart to urge for calm and dialogue between Turkey and Russia.

In a telephone call, Mr Kerry ‘also stressed the need for both sides not to allow this incident to escalate tensions between their two countries or in Syria’.

Meanwhile Putin announced that Captain Murakhtin and the other participants, including in the rescue operation, would be awarded state honours.

He added Colonel Peshkov will posthumously be given Russia's highest award for valour, the Hero of Russia medal.

The 52-year-old was married, with a daughter, 16, and son, eight. The mayor of his city of Lipetsk promised last night to pay off the family's mortgage on a recently-purchased flat.

'We will help his family to pay off this debt,' vowed Mikhail Gulevsky.

A Russian soldier named Alexandr Pozynich who was killed during the 12-hour operation, possibly while carrying out a search-and-rescue in a helicopter, will also be honored.

The Free Syrian Army released footage of one of their fighters using an anti-tank missile to blow up a Russian military helicopter shortly after it landed, but claimed that the pilot had left the aircraft.

Pozynich's widow, Irina, 28, mother of their four your old son Maxim, said: 'It's very painful now. I can't speak.'

Ejected: Captain Murahtin and Colonel Peshkov of can be seen parachuting down after the Sukhoi SU-24 jet was shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday morning

'Proof': This image (left) accompanied by a video (right) claims to show Colonel Peshkov after his death

Retaliation: At least 12 Russian air strikes hit Turkoman Mountains in Latakia's northern countryside, the rebel-controlled area where the Sukhoi SU-24 fighter jet was shot down by the Turkish army

She added: 'I don't understand how and why it happened. It feels like it happened to someone else. When he went to Syria, he did not have any bad feelings. It was as usual.

'He was in the same mood as usual but but for me - something was wrong. My heart was heavy. I did not understand why...'

After Captain Murakhtin returned safe and well, Russia launched a dozen air strikes in areas controlled by Turkmen rebels.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said: ‘We have serious doubts about this being an unpremeditated act, it really looks like a planned provocation.’

Elsewhere, protesters were arrested on Tuesday after they hurled eggs and threw stones at Moscow’s Turkish embassy, shattering windows at the compound.

And in Ulyanovsk, Russia, at the Efes brewery – owned by a Turkish firm – protesters took down a Turkish flag, pelting it with eggs before raising a Russian flag.