RUSSIAN PLANE DOWNED IN SYRIA CROSSFIRE AS ISRAELI JETS STRIKE
▶ Putin seeks to cool tensions after Syrian air defences mistakenly shoot down military aircraft amid Israeli assault
Syrian anti-aircraft batteries responding to Israeli strikes on Monday night downed a Russian military plane, killing all 15 of its crew, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday said the friendly fire incident and resulting crash of the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 surveillance aircraft was caused by “tragic chance events,” dialling back Moscow’s initial response that blamed Israel for putting its aircraft in the crossfire of Syrian missiles.
The Russian Defence Ministry criticised Israel’s actions and threatened retaliation after accusing the country of failing to give the Russian aircraft enough warning and using its plane as cover from Syrian fire.
“We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile,” Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state television yesterday. “As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished.”
But Mr Putin, speaking in Moscow, rejected that Israel was to blame for the “friendly fire” incident as Russia and Israel raced to defuse the situation and prevent a major flareup of tensions in southern Syria where both air forces operate.
“It looks most likely in this case that it was a chain of tragic chance events, because an Israeli aircraft did not shoot down our aircraft. But, without any doubt, we need to seriously get to the bottom of what happened,” he said.
However, Mr Putin told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday that Israel’s
air force was conducting operations in breach of Syria’s sovereignty, according to a statement from the Kremlin.
Russia is supporting Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in the seven-year civil war against rebels and militants. Its air force began air strikes in aid of Damascus in September 2015, entering a conflict that has drawn in and entangled a range of international forces.
Mr Putin said the incident differed from the Turkish downing of a Russian plane in 2015 because Israel had not shot down the plane.
He had called the Turkish military’s actions “a stab in the back delivered by the accomplices of terrorists” in a furore that led to a break in relations between Moscow and Ankara.
Russia summoned Israel’s deputy ambassador in Moscow to the Foreign Ministry after the latest incident.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry refused to disclose what was discussed. But Mr Netanyahu was quick to respond. He expressed sorrow for the loss of Russian lives, a rare acknowledgement of Israeli activity in Syria, and blamed Damascus for the downing of the plane.
Mr Netanyahu told Mr Putin during a phone call that Syria bore responsibility for the targeting of the electronic intelligence plane. He offered to dispatch the Israeli air force chief to Moscow to share details.
He noted the importance of the continuation of security co-ordination between Israel and Russia, saying it helped to prevent many losses on both sides. Mr Netanyahu said Israel was determined to block Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria and transferring weapons to its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah for use against Israel.
Mr Putin said Moscow’s response would aim to secure the safety of Russian military personnel in Syria’s complex civil war, in which various outside powers have backed opposing sides.
“As for retaliatory measures, they will be aimed first and foremost at further ensuring the safety of our military personnel and facilities in Syria. And these will be steps that everyone will notice,” he said.
Russia had also earlier accused France of firing missiles at Syria from a frigate stationed in the Mediterranean, appearing to point to French responsibility in the plane’s downing, a claim Paris’s envoy to the US called “fake news”.
Any row between Israel and Russia could diminish Israel’s freedom to carry out air strikes in Syria on what it sees as the greatest threat to its security – the build-up of Iranian forces or groupings of Hezbollah.
Israel has launched about 200 raids in the past two years, its officials said. Since intervening in Syria, Russia has turned a blind eye to these attacks.