This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/18/russia-military-aircraft-syria-jet-lost-contact
The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 11 | Version 12 |
|---|---|
| Russia blames Israel after military plane downed by Syrian military | Russia blames Israel after military plane downed by Syrian military |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A Russian military aircraft with 15 people onboard has been accidentally shot down by allied Syrian anti-aircraft defences that were targeting Israeli jets, the Russian defence ministry has said. | A Russian military aircraft with 15 people onboard has been accidentally shot down by allied Syrian anti-aircraft defences that were targeting Israeli jets, the Russian defence ministry has said. |
| The ministry blamed Israel’s “irresponsible actions” for the incident, saying Israeli fighter jet pilots intentionally used the aircraft as cover against Syrian missiles in a “deliberate provocation”. Israel said its aircraft were not in the area at the time. | |
| An eight-vessel search for the Russian Il-20, a surveillance plane, was initiated after contact was lost about 20 miles (35km) off the coast of Syria at about 11pm local time (8pm GMT) on Monday. Russia said it had located the wreckage and some remains of the personnel onboard. No survivors had been found . | |
| In a statement, a Russian military spokesman said Israeli F-16 pilots were using the Russian plane as a shield while carrying out missile strikes against targets in Syria’s Latakia province and put it in the line of fire from Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. | In a statement, a Russian military spokesman said Israeli F-16 pilots were using the Russian plane as a shield while carrying out missile strikes against targets in Syria’s Latakia province and put it in the line of fire from Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. |
| “The Il-20, which has a much bigger reflective surface than the F-16, was struck down by an S-200 rocket,” the spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said. “We retain the right to an appropriate response,” he added, without giving details on whether that response could include military action. | “The Il-20, which has a much bigger reflective surface than the F-16, was struck down by an S-200 rocket,” the spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said. “We retain the right to an appropriate response,” he added, without giving details on whether that response could include military action. |
| Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told a senior Israeli official that Israel bore “full responsibility” for the incident and the death of the Russian crew, a military spokesman said later on Tuesday. | Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told a senior Israeli official that Israel bore “full responsibility” for the incident and the death of the Russian crew, a military spokesman said later on Tuesday. |
| In a telephone call with his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, Shoigu said the Israeli actions were viewed as “hostile” and that Moscow had repeatedly warned Israel not to carry out strikes against Syria that endangered Russian servicemen. Israel’s ambassador in Moscow has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry over the incident. | |
| Israel’s armed forces released a statement expressing sorrow for the deaths of the aircrew and said it held Syria fully responsible. It said its jets had overnight hit a facility used to manufacture weapons that it believed were due to be transferred to Hezbollah. | |
| “Extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft … fire caused the Russian plane to be hit and downed,” the statement said, adding that when the anti-aircraft missiles were fired, Israeli jets had already returned to their airspace. | |
| Damascus had said its anti-air batteries had fired at incoming missiles heading towards several locations in the coastal city of Latakia. | |
| A US official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the US government believed Syrian defences may have accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles. Hmeimim airbase, the Russian-operated facility in Syria to which the missing plane was returning, is located south-east of Latakia city. | A US official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the US government believed Syrian defences may have accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles. Hmeimim airbase, the Russian-operated facility in Syria to which the missing plane was returning, is located south-east of Latakia city. |
| “The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time,” a spokesperson for the Pentagon told the Guardian. France also denied involvement after Russia said it was mounting attacks on Syria targets at the time of the incident. | “The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time,” a spokesperson for the Pentagon told the Guardian. France also denied involvement after Russia said it was mounting attacks on Syria targets at the time of the incident. |
| For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. | |
| As well as the hotline, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has made trips to Moscow to seek to convince President Vladimir Putin not to supply the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, with Russian-made anti-aircraft defences that might endanger Israeli jets on sorties. | |
| Russia said Israel had given only one minute’s warning before launching missile strikes against the Syrian coast. | Russia said Israel had given only one minute’s warning before launching missile strikes against the Syrian coast. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict, said huge explosions were heard in Latakia on Monday night, wounding more than 10 people, whom they identified as “regime forces and military personnel”. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict, said huge explosions were heard in Latakia on Monday night, wounding more than 10 people, whom they identified as “regime forces and military personnel”. |
| Russia’s military operation in Syria, which began in late 2015, has turned the tide of the conflict in favour of Moscow’s ally Assad in his fight against rebels. | |
| At the same time, Israel’s air force has launched scores of attacks on Syrian territory in a campaign it says is to prevent its arch-enemy and Assad’s ally, Iran, from gaining a military foothold in a neighbouring country. The strikes have also targeted arms shipments in Syria to Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah movement. | At the same time, Israel’s air force has launched scores of attacks on Syrian territory in a campaign it says is to prevent its arch-enemy and Assad’s ally, Iran, from gaining a military foothold in a neighbouring country. The strikes have also targeted arms shipments in Syria to Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah movement. |
| In April, France joined the US and Britain to launch more than 100 missiles at what they said were Syrian chemical weapons facilities in retaliation for a suspected poison attack. A senior French army chief said this month that Paris was ready to strike again under similar circumstances. | In April, France joined the US and Britain to launch more than 100 missiles at what they said were Syrian chemical weapons facilities in retaliation for a suspected poison attack. A senior French army chief said this month that Paris was ready to strike again under similar circumstances. |
| The Kremlin played down speculation that the incident could affect its ability to strike deals among rival sides in the Syrian conflict. Russia has sought to trade on its influence with the Syrian and Iranian governments, and Israel has lobbied Russia to push back against growing Iranian influence in Syria, particularly near the Israeli-controlled territory. | |
| Russia publicly deployed military police to the Golan Heights frontier between Syria and Israel last month amid heightened tensions in the area. The deployment of advanced Russian air defence systems to Syria has also raised concerns about the safety of Israeli forces acting in the area. | |
| Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said on Tuesday said recent agreements with Turkey about de-escalation zones near the rebel stronghold of Idlib would be unaffected by the downing of the plane. | Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said on Tuesday said recent agreements with Turkey about de-escalation zones near the rebel stronghold of Idlib would be unaffected by the downing of the plane. |
| Russia | Russia |
| Syria | Syria |
| Europe | Europe |
| Middle East and North Africa | Middle East and North Africa |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |