The pilot of the SU-25 fighter shot down by a Turkish fighter in the Vardenis region is Major Valeri Danielin: Armenian Foreign Ministry

Since its presence in Azerbaijan, the Turkish Air Force has been conducting provocative flights along the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, and during the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan, it has been providing aerial support to the attacking armed units of the Azerbaijani army. This was stated in a statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry regarding Turkey's military involvement.

The full statement is as follows:

“On the morning of September 29, a SU-25 attack aircraft of the Armenian Armed Forces, which was performing combat tasks in Armenian airspace in the Vardenis region to repel Azerbaijani attacks on military and civilian facilities located in Armenia, was shot down by one of the F-16 fighters belonging to the Turkish Air Force stationed at Azerbaijan’s Ganja airport. The pilot of the Armenian Armed Forces, Major Valeri Danielin, was killed.

This is not the first provocation by the Turkish Air Force. Since its presence in Azerbaijan, the Turkish Air Force has been conducting provocative flights along the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, while effectively providing air support to the attacking armed units of the Azerbaijani army during the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan. It should be noted that Turkish provocative flights have also been carried out along the Armenia-Turkey border, at times crossing and violating Armenian airspace.

On September 27, in the same section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, a Turkish F-16 violated Armenian airspace and fired missiles towards the Vardenis region.

The Turkish Air Force has been in Azerbaijan since the large-scale Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises that took place from July 29 to August 13, and has not yet been withdrawn from Azerbaijani territory.

These provocative actions of the Turkish armed forces seriously threaten regional security and hinder international efforts to cease hostilities. The international community has called on extraregional forces to refrain from steps that could exacerbate the conflict, and Turkey must heed these calls.

We strongly condemn Turkey's provocative actions and demand the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish armed forces, including the air force, from the conflict zone.