Turkey denies claim that it shot down an Armenian warplane, Putin appeals for ceasefire

The claim by an Armenian official that Turkey shot down an Armenian fighter jet is “absolutely untrue”, Turkey’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said.

“Armenia should withdraw from the territories under its occupation instead of resorting to cheap propaganda tricks,” Altun said, after an Armenian defence ministry spokeswoman said a Turkish F-16 jet shot down an Armenian warplane.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged the opposing sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to hold their fire, during a conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin emphasised the urgent need for a ceasefire and for all sides to take measures to de-escalate the crisis, the Kremlin said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused one another on Tuesday of firing directly into each other’s territory and rejected pressure to hold peace talks as their conflict over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh threatened to spill over into all-out war.