Ukraine jet ‘shot down by Russia’

The pilot of the Sukhoi-25 was forced to bail out after his plane was hit, said spokesman Andrei Lysenko.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebels claimed responsibility for strikes on two Sukhoi-25 jets.

Ukraine’s defence ministry said the second jet was hit by a portable surface-to-air missile, but the pilot was unhurt and managed to land safely.

Moscow denies it is supporting the separatists or sowing unrest in its neighbour’s territory.

The incidents came after Russian president Vladimir Putin criticised the latest round of US sanctions against Moscow, saying they are harming bilateral relations and hurting not only Russian but US businesses.

Mr Putin’s comments came hours after Barack Obama announced broader sanctions against Russia, targeting two major energy firms, a pair of powerful financial institutions, eight weapons firms and four individuals.

The increased US economic pressure is designed to end the insurgency in eastern Ukraine that is widely believed to be backed by the Kremlin.

The US penalties stopped short of the most stringent actions that the West has threatened, which would fully cut off key sectors of Russia’s oil-dependent economy. But officials said those steps 
were still on the table if Russia failed to abide by the West’s demands to stop its support for pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

The UN says more than 400 people have been killed in the conflict, with tens of thousands displaced.