Turkish F16s shoot down Russian warplane near Syrian border
Holly Ellyatt | @HollyEllyatt
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This is how much Russia's 'war' in Syria costs
"The Russians are very cavalier in the way they operate their aircraft," he told CNBC Tuesday. "Traditionally, they've always been less than scrupulous in terms of air traffic management. Given that, I feel that this incident was inevitable."
Read MoreHow US and Russian arms fell into ISIS' hands
Beaver added that he had been informed by a source, who he declined to name, that the Russian jet was attacking an anti-Assad group that was backed by Turkey.CNBC was unable to reach the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.
Russia's reaction?
Both Russia and its ally, Syria's government, have carried out strikes in the area.
Turkish F16s warned the jet over the airspace violations before shooting it down, the military official told Reuters.
What has Russia got invested in Syria?
Footage from private broadcaster Haberturk TV showed a warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in area known by Turks as "Turkmen Mountain" in northern Syria near the Turkish border, Haberturk said.
The next big issue is what the Russia's reaction could be to the shooting down of one of its aircraft. Beaver, who also advises the U.K. government on defense matters, said that NATO doesn't necessarily have a role to play unless Turkey asks it to.
"The Russian reaction will depend on what has happened to the air crew involved. If they're unharmed it should be fine. If they are harmed, then Russia's reaction will be hard and heavy."
Reuters contributed to this report.
- By CNBC's Holly Ellyatt, follow her on Twitter @HollyEllyatt. Follow us on Twitter: @CNBCWorld
Holly EllyattAssistant Producer, CNBC.com
Holly Ellyatt | @HollyEllyatt
55 Mins AgoCNBC.com
180
SHARES
40
COMMENTS
This is how much Russia's 'war' in Syria costs
"The Russians are very cavalier in the way they operate their aircraft," he told CNBC Tuesday. "Traditionally, they've always been less than scrupulous in terms of air traffic management. Given that, I feel that this incident was inevitable."
Read MoreHow US and Russian arms fell into ISIS' hands
Beaver added that he had been informed by a source, who he declined to name, that the Russian jet was attacking an anti-Assad group that was backed by Turkey.CNBC was unable to reach the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.
Russia's reaction?
Both Russia and its ally, Syria's government, have carried out strikes in the area.
Turkish F16s warned the jet over the airspace violations before shooting it down, the military official told Reuters.
What has Russia got invested in Syria?
Footage from private broadcaster Haberturk TV showed a warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in area known by Turks as "Turkmen Mountain" in northern Syria near the Turkish border, Haberturk said.
The next big issue is what the Russia's reaction could be to the shooting down of one of its aircraft. Beaver, who also advises the U.K. government on defense matters, said that NATO doesn't necessarily have a role to play unless Turkey asks it to.
"The Russian reaction will depend on what has happened to the air crew involved. If they're unharmed it should be fine. If they are harmed, then Russia's reaction will be hard and heavy."
Reuters contributed to this report.
- By CNBC's Holly Ellyatt, follow her on Twitter @HollyEllyatt. Follow us on Twitter: @CNBCWorld
Holly EllyattAssistant Producer, CNBC.com
