Israel attracts Russian ire

FRIENDLY FIRE: SYRIANS ACCIDENTALLY SHOOT DOWN RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT

Israeli jets used Russian plane as cover to allow them to approach targets.

Moscow

Russia yesterday accused Israel of indirectly causing a Russian military plane to be shot down near Syria’s Mediterranean coast and threatened to retaliate for what it described as a hostile act.

Russia’s defence ministry said the aircraft, with 15 service personnel on board, was brought down by anti-aircraft batteries of Moscow’s ally, Syria, in a friendly fire incident.

But the ministry said it held Israel responsible because, at the time of the incident, Israeli fighter jets were mounting air attacks on Syrian targets and had only given Moscow one minute’s warning, putting the aircraft in danger of being caught in the crossfire.

“We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile,” Russian defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov told Russian state television. “As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished.”

Israel’s military declined to comment, as did the prime minister’s office and foreign ministry.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, and told him Moscow held Israel wholly responsible, Russian news agencies reported. The Israeli defence ministry confirmed the call but declined to give details.

Moscow said its plane disappeared from radar screens as it was coming in to land at the Khmeimim air base in western Syria late on Monday, just as Israeli jets and French naval vessels were mounting air strikes on targets in the same area of Syria.

France denied launching any missile strikes.

According to the ministry, the Israeli F-16 jets carrying out the air strikes used the Russian plane as cover to allow them to approach their targets without being hit by anti-aircraft fire.

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