A Russian reconnaissance plane that disappeared over the Mediterranean with 15 crew aboard was shot down in error by
Syrian forces, the Kremlin has admitted as it blamed Israel for putting the aircraft in the firing line.
Moscow’s defence ministry initially said the disappearance had taken place during French and Israeli missile strikes in the Latakia area of northwestern Syria that prompted an anti-aircraft barrage.
Later on Tuesday morning the Kremlin said allied Syrian forces had inadvertently downed the plane, but heaped the blame on Israel for “irresponsible actions” – saying the country had launched air strikes by four F-16 jets with just one minute’s warning, triggering the defensive response.
There was not enough time to get the Il-20 out of harm’s way, the RIA news agency quoted Russia’s defence ministry as saying. The BBC quoted the ministry as saying: ”Using the Russian airplane as a cover, Israeli pilots put it in the line of fire coming from Syrian air defence systems.”
The Israeli military said in a statement that its jets were already within Israeli airspace when the incident took place, while offering condolences over the death of the Russian crew – but said it held the Syrian government “fully responsible.” It also blamed Iran and Hezbollah for what it described as an “unfortunate incident”.
Israel and Russia have maintained a dedicated hotline to prevent their air forces clashing over Syria for several years, with Israeli officials having previously praised its effectiveness.