Moscow blames Israel for plane-downing in Syria

By Abdul Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM

The Russian embassy in Israel has blasted what it described as “irresponsible and unfriendly actions” by the Israeli air force, which, it said, had caused the downing of a Russian military plane in Syrian airspace earlier this week.

“Moscow views as irresponsible and unfriendly the actions of the Israeli air force, which exposed a Russian Il-20 aircraft to danger and led to death of 15 servicemen,” the embassy tweeted Thursday.

It added: “Russia will take all necessary measures to eliminate threats to the lives and security of our military.”

The remarks coincided with the departure of Israeli Air Force Commander Amikan Norkin to Moscow, where he is expected to discuss Monday’s plane-downing with Russian officials.

According to an army statement, Norkin and members of his delegation will present Russian officials with an extensive report on the incident, including pre-mission data and the findings of an army inquiry.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Israeli F-16s entered Syrian airspace with a view to striking Syrian military targets in the northwestern Latakia province.

Israeli officials later claimed that the target was an arms factory, weapons from which were intended for Lebanon’s Hezbollah, an ally of Syria’s Assad regime and a bitter enemy of Israel.

When Syria’s Russian-built S-200 air-defense system responded to the airspace breach, a Russian Il-20 military plane was struck by a missile, destroying the aircraft and killing all 15 servicemen on board.

In a statement issued shortly afterward, the Russian Defense Ministry held Israel “solely responsible” for the incident, accusing it of committing “irresponsible actions” inside Syrian airspace.