ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Russia news agencies are citing the defense ministry as confirming that the warplane shot down by Turkey was Russian.

According to the reports, the ministry said on Tuesday that the plane was on a bombing mission in Syria and crashed after it came under an artillery attack from the ground. Moscow insisted that the jet, a Su-24, did not violate the Turkish airspace.

The ministry said the pilots have parachuted but added that Moscow had no further contact with them.