In a statement posted on the official website of Russian Defense Ministry, the chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lt.Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, said: "Contacts with Turkey will be terminated at the military level".
Rudskoy’s remarks came following Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane Tuesday after it violated Turkish airspace.
"Air defense will be reinforced. For that purpose, the Moskva cruiser equipped with air defense system Fort, analogous to the S-300 one, will go to the shore zone of Latakia [in Syria]," he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry warned that all potentially dangerous targets will be destroyed.
A Russian warplane was shot down at the Turkish-Syrian border earlier Tuesday after repeatedly ignoring warnings that it was violating Turkish airspace.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "This tragic event will bear serious consequences for Turkish-Russian relations."
Bloom Gist and Anadolu Agency
