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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: In view of the various speculations on the incident with the Syrian airplane, I would like to state that we have no secrets. We have clarified the situation: there were not and there could not be any weapons on board that plane.
The plane was carrying a cargo sent by a legal Russian supplier in a legal way to a legal customer. This cargo included electrical equipment for a radar station, dual purpose equipment not prohibited by international conventions. Cargo documents have been fully issued in line with standard requirements.
It’s absolutely normal practice to transport this kind of cargo on civilian planes, and this is confirmed by the fact that even before the Syrian airplane entered Turkey’s airspace, the Turkish authorities suggested that it either change its course or land in Ankara. The pilot made a landing, since he knew that he was doing nothing illegal.
In conclusion, I will add that according to our data, the supplier will demand the return of the cargo, which is its property.
And finally, we expect an official explanation from the Turkish side as to why Turkey refused to grant Russian diplomats access to their fellow citizens aboard that plane.