Russia blames Israel for downing of military jet off Syrian coast
An incident in which a Russian jet was shot down by Syrian forces on Monday was due to the "deliberate" aggression of the Israeli air force, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Moscow laid the blame for the incident squarely at Israel’s door on Tuesday, stating that the Il-20 jet was forced to divert into the path of Syrian air defence systems by Israeli jets, resulting in the plane's destruction and the deaths of all 15 personnel on board.
Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian ministry of defence, said: "Hiding behind the Russian aircraft, the Israeli pilots put it in the line of fire of Syrian anti-aircraft systems. As a result, the Il-20 [...] was shot down by the (Syrian) S-200 missile system."
A recovery operation is underway in the Mediterranean Sea, where wreckage has already been located.
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman that Russia "reserves the right to take further steps in response".
Israel has not responded to the allegations, but the Kremlin suggested that the incident occurred as the nation’s air force sought to strike targets in Syria without having properly informed Russian forces, instead warning them just one minute beforehand.
The Israeli military rarely discusses operations but recently claimed to have hit more than 200 Iranian targets in Syria over the past 18 months.
The Russian plane, which was used primarily for reconnaissance, was returning to a base in Latakia province when it came under attack.
The nearby coastal city of Latakia was attacked with missiles around the same time and Russia’s TASS news agency reported that air control radar systems detected rocket launches from the French naval frigate Auvergne which was nearby.
French military spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger told Reuters that the nation denies any involvement.