Body of killed Russian Su-24 pilot arrives in Russia

A Russian warplane carrying the body of the killed pilot onboard of a Russian Su-24 which was shot down by Turkish air force last week, arrived at Chkalovsky airport in Moscow region on Monday, the Defense Ministry said in an online statement.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and commander-in-chief of Russia's Airspace Force Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev met the plane, escorted by fighter jets, at the airfield.

According to Bondarev, "those who planned and carried out the betrayal would suffer from deserved punishment."

The pilot, Lt. Col. Oleg Peshkov, was awarded the Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously.

Also on Monday, the Defense Ministry said the Russian Su-34 bombers, deployed to strike terrorists positions in Syria, used for the first time the air-to-air missiles during the flight mission.

"Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers flew for the first time on a mission not only with OFAB-500 bombs and KAB-500 guided aerial bombs, but also with short and medium range air-to-air missiles," the ministry spokesman Igor Klimov said.

The missiles are equipped with target-seeking devices and are capable of hitting aerial targets at a distance of up to 60 kilometers, RIA Novosti news agency quoted Klimov as saying.

After the downing of the Su-24 warplane on Nov. 24, Russia intensified airstrikes in Syria against the Turkey-backed rebels in northern Syrian on the Syria-Turkey borders, specifically targeting all convoys the rebels were receiving from Turkey via rebel-held Syrian border-crossings in the northern province of Aleppo.

A set of special economic sanctions are imposed by Russia upon Turkey, while detailed lists are still under study by the Russian government, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warning on Monday that the sanctions could be expanded.

Turkey-Russia relations have plummeted after Ankara shot down the Russian war jet earlier last week, claiming that the plane had violated its air space, while Moscow insisted that its warplane was flying in Syria's airspace when it was downed.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladmir Putin signed a decree imposing economic sanctions against Turkey. Under the decree, which became effective immediately on the date of publication, Turkish companies of transportation shall be restricted in their operations in Russian territories, with Turkish ships and boats being banned from staying at or navigating across Russian ports, while import of certain goods from Turkey will be halted.

Russia also officially suspended its visa-free travel regime with Turkey, except Turkish diplomats and their dependents and those with temporary permits of residence.

In response to Russia's economic sanctions, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday that Ankara and Moscow share mutual interests in their bilateral relations, including Russia's economic interests from Turkey.

"Relations between Turkey and Russia are in a structure based on mutual interests. Turkey is not having one sided interests from Russia. Russia also has economic interests from Turkey. On many areas, we have common interests and neighboring relations," Davutoglu told a press conference in Ankara Esenboga Airport before leaving for an EU-Turkey summit.

The Turkish leader said that the country has set up a coordination committee headed by minister of economy to handle outcomes of crisis with Russia.

Russia is Turkey's seventh largest export and import partner. In 2014, Turkish exports to Russia stood at 5.9 billion U.S. dollars, while its imports from Russia -- mainly natural gas and oil -- stood at 25 billion U.S. dollars.

Turkey exported 20 percent of its foodstuff to Russia, in addition to 15 percent of its textile exports. Enditem