Russia Plane Downed
Warren said the Turkish government announced that two of its F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets on border patrol engaged two Russian Su-24s, and one Russian aircraft was shot down.
No American personnel or planes were in the area, he said.
"This was purely an action that took place between the Russians and the Turks," Warren said.
It is not an issue that involves the Combined Joint Task Force or Operation Inherent Resolve, he added.
Russia Involvement
Warren dismissed Russia's recent claim that it destroyed 500 fuel tankers used to transport ISIL's illicit oil.
"We took a look at the reports. We saw the video they released," he said. "From what we saw, the battle damage assessment they issued seems to us to be exaggerated."
Russian actions, Warren said, are at odds with what Russian officials said they wanted to accomplish in Syria.
"It flies directly in the face of what they said they would do. They have said that they are here to help fight ISIL. In fact, they're here striking moderate Syrian opposition groups," he said.
Only a fraction of Russian attacks targeted ISIL, he said.
"The Russians have said that they're here to fight terrorism, but the Russians have routinely now demonstrated that their goal is to prop up and prolong the Assad regime," he said.
A majority of Russian strikes, he said, have had a direct benefit to the Assad regime.
"It's the Assad regime, in our view, that's the problem here," Warren said. "It's the Assad regime that has brought suffering and misery to the Syrian people, which in turn has led to the growth of ISIL itself. It's the whole reason we're here."
(Source: US Dept of Defense)
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