Russian military Il-20 goes missing in Syria
“September 17 at about 23:00 Moscow time when returning to the Khmeimim airbase over the water area Mediterranean Sea“35 kilometers from the coast of Syria, communication with the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft was lost,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said. There were 15 people on board the plane, all of them died. Russian forces quickly organized a search and rescue operation and by the morning of September 18, they discovered the wreckage of the plane and the remains of the victims.
Communication with the aircraft was lost during an attack by four Israeli F-16 aircraft on targets in the province of Latakia
At the same time, Russian experts recorded the launch of missiles from the French frigate Auvergne. The targets of the attack were not named. “Auvergne” has previously launched attacks on Syria - on April 14, the United States and its allies launched a missile attack on the Shayrat air base and other facilities in the country, presumably used for the production of chemical weapons.
Missile interception over Damascus
Ivan Sidorenko / Twitter
The attack on the province was carried out from the sea, and Damascus also blamed Israel for it.
According to the initial version of the American military, it was the Syrian government forces who were responsible for the destruction of the plane.
CNN correspondent Ryan Brown reported. “The US military believes that a Russian maritime patrol aircraft was accidentally shot down by Syrian air defense forces just as regime forces were attempting to shoot down Israeli missiles fired at targets in Latakia,” he tweeted. According to the journalist, the information was provided to CNN by a source in the country's armed forces.
The American version was subsequently confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense
“The IL-20, whose effective reflective surface is an order of magnitude greater than that of the F-16, was shot down by a missile from the S-200 complex,” said department spokesman Igor Konashenkov. He accused Israel of using Il-20s as cover for its planes. It is not reported whether the F-16 pilots were aware of the Il-20 flying in their attack zone before departure. The Russian military, however, believes that they saw the Il-20 landing and continued the operation anyway, putting it in danger. Moscow said it considers Israel's actions hostile - as it was warned only a minute before the strike - and reserves the right to adequately respond.
The Russian military showed the movement diagram of the F-16 and Il-20
Vladimir Putin named the true cause of the disaster
According to him, it was caused by non-compliance with Russian-Israeli agreements on the prevention of dangerous incidents. He said this in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The head of the government of the Jewish state, in turn, promised to transfer to Moscow all the information about what happened. He noted the importance of ongoing security coordination between Israel and Russia, which has prevented losses on both sides over the past three years.”
Israel blamed Damascus for the incident
According to the Jewish state, the F-16s bombed facilities involved in the production of chemical weapons for the Hezbollah group, which were intended for use against the Israelis. As for the Russian plane, it was outside the affected area. Tel Aviv placed the blame on Syrian air defenses, which fired indiscriminately at all air targets - when the Syrian missile hit the Russian plane, all the F-16s were already over Israeli territory.
Foreign politicians expressed condolences over the incident
In addition to the Israeli Prime Minister, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, British Permanent Representative to the UN Karen Pierce and Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN Bashar Jafari conveyed words of support. “Russian martyrs in Syria are martyrs of Syria, with the same blood with us, the same enemy, the same victory - against the same terrorism,” Jafari said.
The day before, the presidents of Russia and Turkey entered into an agreement on the creation of a demilitarized zone
Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed that it will be organized in Idlib province by October 15. An area 15-20 kilometers deep will be allocated near the Turkish-Syrian border, from where radical militants will have to emerge - including terrorists from the al-Nusra Front group - and heavy weapons will be withdrawn, including multiple launch rocket systems, artillery pieces and mortars . Turkish and Russian military police patrols will keep order in the zone.
The West threatened retribution if chemical weapons were used in Idlib
The corresponding statement was made by US Presidential National Security Advisor John Bolton. He promised that the proven use of “chemistry” would lead to a quick and adequate response. The Russian military, in turn, accused the rebels in Idlib of planning a provocation using toxic substances in order to gain a pretext for attacking government units.
Israel has previously repeatedly attacked Syrian targets
The shelling is carried out, for example, in response to mortar attacks on Israeli-controlled territories - for example, on June 6, 2018. “The Israeli army is not involved in internal fighting in Syria, but will continue to insist on the implementation of the 1974 disengagement agreements, including the demilitarized zone,” the IDF said in a statement. Tel Aviv blames such attacks on Iranian forces and the militant Shiite group Hezbollah, which is controlled by Tehran. According to human rights activists, Israeli strikes killed 113 pro-Iranian militants in a month.
On May 18, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Harry Cohen said that the Jewish state would take all measures to avoid casualties among Russians. “We have repeated more than once that our only goal in Syria is the Iranian presence,” the diplomat said. According to him, Israel will make every effort “to ensure that a scenario in which there would be hit not for the intended purpose."
Il-20 aircraft are used for electronic warfare and reconnaissance
The vehicle is equipped with a side-view radar system, an infrared scanner, optical sensors and a satellite communications system. Il-20s worked in Syria - in particular, they monitored demilitarized zones.
Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Il-20 - electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft
A Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Syrian air defense forces and was put under fire Israeli planes, striking at the province of Latakia. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated this, warning about the right to an adequate response to “hostile actions.” In turn, the Israeli military blamed the army of Bashar al-Assad, which fired “indiscriminately.”
The plane crash killed 15 Russian soldiers, the Russian Ministry of Defense said. The agency reported that the day before at about 22:00 four Israeli Air Force F-16 fighters attacked targets in the province of Latakia with guided aerial bombs.
“Under the cover of a Russian plane, Israeli pilots exposed it to Syrian air defense fire. As a result, the Il-20, which has an effective reflective surface an order of magnitude greater than that of the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 missile,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov .
- In Syria, a Russian Il-20 with 14 military personnel on board disappeared from radar: several versions
General Konashenkov emphasized that the command of the Russian group of troops in Syria was not warned in advance about the planned airstrikes. “The hotline received a notification less than one minute before the strike, which did not allow the Russian plane to be brought to a safe zone,” he explained.
According to Konashenkov, the F-16 pilots and the Israeli Air Force controls “could not help but see the Russian plane, as it was landing from an altitude of five kilometers,” but nevertheless “deliberately committed this provocation.”
In addition, the general noted, the bombing was carried out not far from the place where the French frigate Auvergne is located. Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that missiles were launched from this ship. The French military said it was not involved in the attack.
“We regard these provocative actions of Israel as hostile,” said a representative of the military department. “We reserve the right to adequate response actions.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke by telephone with the head of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Avigdor Lieberman and brought to his attention that as a result of the “irresponsible actions of the Israeli Air Force” 15 Russian military personnel were killed, the Ministry of Defense reported.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov refused to answer the question whether Vladimir Putin planned a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Israeli reaction
On Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli military confirmed that it had carried out an airstrike last night on a Syrian military facility containing precision-guided weapons. According to Israel, it was intended to attack it and was intended for the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, where it could be delivered on behalf of Iran.
“Israel holds the [Bashar] Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident,” the IDF said in a series of tweets. “Israel also holds Iran and the terrorist organization Hezbollah responsible for the unfortunate incident.”
According to the Israeli military, Syrian air defenses fired "indiscriminately" and did not make sure that there were no Russian aircraft in the air.
In Israel, they insist that they notified the Russian military about the strikes: “Between the Israel Defense Forces and Russian army There is a system for preventing conflict situations, which was approved at the level of state leaders and which has proven itself many times in recent years. This system was still used today."
In addition, the statement emphasizes that Israeli aircraft were already in Israeli airspace when Syrian air defenses shot down the Il-20.
Israel mourns the death of the Russian military and is ready to provide the Russian authorities with all the necessary information to investigate the incident, the statement said.
The US knew about missile defense
The Il-20 crash site has been discovered, the plane fell 27 km west of settlement Banias.
The wreckage of the crashed plane, as well as fragments of the crew's bodies and their personal belongings, were lifted aboard the Russian ships, the Ministry of Defense reported.
On Tuesday night, the Ministry of Defense reported that an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Mediterranean Sea disappeared from radar during an airstrike by Israeli fighters on targets in the province of Latakia. It was reported that there were 14 people on board the Russian plane.
At the same time, Western media sources wrote that the Russian plane could have been accidentally shot down by Syrian air defense forces.
"The US military believes Syrian anti-aircraft guns mistakenly shot down a Russian coastal patrol plane as the Syrian regime was trying to shoot down Israeli missiles targeting targets in Latakia," CNN national security correspondent Ryan Brown tweeted. .
What is S-200
S-200 is a Soviet long-range anti-aircraft missile system. It was developed in the 1960s to protect areas from the air (as opposed to complexes designed to cover individual objects).
Until the emergence of the more modern S-300 complex at the very end of the 1970s, it remained the most powerful air defense system in the USSR. In the 1980s, it began to be supplied abroad, including to Syria.
The S-200 anti-aircraft missile is equipped with a semi-active guidance head, that is, it is aimed at a target that is “illuminated” by the tracking radar.
- Syria fires missiles at Israeli warplanes
The complex has been modernized several times, but is currently outdated. So, during an air strike by the Israeli Air Force on targets in Syria, the S-200 systems opened fire on the planes, but were unable to shoot down a single one. Moreover, one of the Syrian anti-missile missiles was intercepted by the Israeli missile defense system.
The Russian Ministry of Defense previously reported that in addition to the S-200, the Syrian army has Soviet S-125, Buks, Kvadraty and Wasps, as well as modern Pantsir-S complexes.
How Russia lost planes in Syria
Il-20 is an electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft, created on the basis of the Il-18 aircraft.
The aircraft is designed for reconnaissance along the border strip and state border. Considered to be the first reconnaissance aircraft in the Soviet Union, its first flight took place in 1968.
Previously, Russia lost fighters, attack aircraft and transport aircraft in Syria.
In early May this year, it crashed in Syria Russian fighter Su-30SM. It crashed after takeoff from Khmeimim airbase, killing both pilots. The Ministry of Defense cited a bird getting into the engine as a possible cause of the crash. “There was no fire impact on the plane,” the military department said.
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- Russian Air Force Su-25 attack aircraft shot down in Syria
Then the total number of Russian aircraft lost in Syria reached seven. At the same time, only two aircraft were combat losses - a Su-24 bomber shot down by the Turkish Air Force in November 2015 and a Su-25 attack aircraft shot down by militants in Idlib in February 2018.
The biggest loss of Russian aviation in Syria was a crash transport aircraft An-26 in March of this year, when 39 people were killed. The Ministry of Defense then reported that the plane did not reach the runway of the Khmeimim airfield by about 500 meters and collided with the ground.
During the operation in Syria, Russian authorities officially acknowledged the death of more than 90 military personnel.
Russia began a military operation in Syria in the fall of 2015, supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Over the course of three years, with the support of Russian aviation and the Iranian military, Assad managed to take control of almost all territories except the province of Idlib.
The day before, negotiations between the presidents of Russia and Turkey took place in Sochi, following which Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced their intention to create a demilitarized zone 15-20 kilometers wide along the perimeter of Idlib by October 15.
Shoigu at the same time announced that the expected offensive operation in Idlib, from which Moscow and Damascus were dissuaded by the United States and others Western countries, will not be.
The incident with the Il-20 will not affect the implementation of the agreements on Idlib, Peskov said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a message about the death of Russian military personnel in Syria.
According to the official representative of the department, General Igor Konashenkov, on September 17, at about 10 p.m., four F-16 fighters of the Israeli Air Force attacked Syrian targets near the city of Latakia with guided aerial bombs. “We regard these provocative actions of Israel as hostile. As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed,” said an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about this incident. At a press conference following negotiations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, journalists asked whether this situation would complicate relations with Israel, drew parallels with Turkey and inquired about retaliatory measures.
“When people die, especially under such tragic circumstances, it is always a disaster. For all of us, for the country, for the loved ones of our fallen comrades. And first of all, I offer condolences to the loved ones of the victims,” the president said.
“As for comparison with the well-known events when our plane was shot down by a Turkish fighter, this is still a different situation,” the head of state is convinced. “Then a Turkish fighter deliberately shot down our plane. Here, rather, it looks like a chain of tragic accidental circumstances. An Israeli plane did not shoot down our plane. But, of course, we still have to seriously look into all this."
“Our attitude to this tragedy is set out in the statement of the Ministry of Defense, which is fully agreed with me,” Vladimir Putin said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly called on Israel to refrain from strikes that threaten the safety of the Russian military
“As for the response actions, they will be aimed, first of all, at additionally ensuring the security of our military personnel and facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic. And these will be steps that everyone will notice,” the president concluded
The official representative of the Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov spoke about some details of the tragedy. According to him, the fighters approached the targets at low altitude from the Mediterranean Sea.
The mission of the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft in Syria was explained by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Photo: Mikhail Kuzovov/TASS
At the same time, Israeli planes deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft located in the area, Konashenkov clarified. - The bombing was carried out near the location of the French frigate "Auvergne" and in close proximity to the Il-20 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces that was landing. Using a Russian plane as cover, Israeli pilots exposed it to Syrian air defense fire. As a result, the Il-20, which has an effective reflective surface an order of magnitude greater than that of the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 missile.
According to our Ministry of Defense, Israeli aviation controls and F-16 pilots could not help but see the Russian plane, as it was landing from an altitude of five kilometers. Nevertheless, Konashenkov said, “they deliberately went for this provocation.” Israel did not warn the command of the Russian group of troops in Syria about the planned operation. The hotline received a notification less than a minute before the strike, which prevented the Russian plane from being brought to a safe zone.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said this in a telephone conversation with the head of the Israeli military department, Avigdor Lieberman. According to the Ministry of Defense, Shoigu informed Lieberman that as a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli air force, a tragedy occurred that claimed the lives of 15 Russian military personnel.
“Despite the existing agreements on preventing dangerous incidents with Israel,” Shoigu emphasized, “the command of the Russian group of troops and forces was notified only one minute before the Israeli F-16 strike.”
The actions of the Israeli military department do not correspond to the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership, said Sergei Shoigu
The minister stated that, to quote a message from the Russian military department, “the blame for the downing of the Russian plane and the death of the crew lies entirely with the Israeli side.” “The Russian Ministry of Defense, through various channels of interaction, has repeatedly called on the Israeli side to refrain from attacks on Syrian territory that pose a threat to the safety of Russian military personnel,” the department said in a statement. “The actions of the Israeli military department do not correspond to the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership, and we reserve the right to further retaliatory steps,” the Russian Defense Minister is quoted as saying in a conversation with Avigdor Lieberman.
Shoigu explained what the Il-20 was doing over the Mediterranean Sea. “In the strike zone, to be more precise, between Israeli aviation (four F-16 aircraft) and Syrian territory there was our Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft with a crew of 15 people on board, which was carrying out a reconnaissance mission precisely in the Idlib de-escalation zone to determine the locations storage and collection of unmanned aerial vehicles that fly out of this zone and strike different areas of Syria, the minister explained yesterday at a department board.
He recalled that Russian-Turkish agreements will make it possible to build a new security system in the Idlib de-escalation zone. “After long negotiations, a decision was made, in accordance with which, we believe that from today the process of building a new system, a new security structure for work in the Idlib de-escalation zone has begun,” Shoigu said.
As for his words on the Il-20, Israel’s reaction did not follow immediately. At first, the Israeli Ministry of Defense expressed grief over the death of our crew. In Tel Aviv, however, they added: “which was shot down in the evening by Syrian anti-aircraft fire.” The Israeli Ministry of Defense did not hide the fact that, we quote from the TASS tape, that “at night, Israeli Air Force fighters bombed a facility of the Syrian armed forces, where the production of precise and lethal weapons was carried out, which was to be transferred on behalf of Iran to the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.” Israel's charge d'affaires in Moscow, Keren Cohen-Gat, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday in connection with the situation with the Russian Il-20 aircraft. The conversation lasted about half an hour; the diplomat declined to comment to reporters.
Dossier "RG"
According to open sources, the Il-20 (according to NATO codification: Coot - “Coot”) is a military electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft, created on the basis of the passenger Il-18. It is equipped with a side-scan radar, an IR scanner, optical sensors, and a satellite communication system for real-time data exchange. Produced from 1968 to 1976.
The downed Il-20, according to information from the Ilyushin company, was fully operational and could be operated until 2021. The last time it underwent major renovations was in 2011.
Meanwhile
Putin reminded Netanyahu about Israel's violation of Syrian sovereignty
The Israeli Prime Minister contacted the Russian President by telephone and expressed condolences over the death of 15 servicemen who were on board the downed Il-20. “To conduct a thorough investigation into the tragedy, Benjamin Netanyahu promised to provide detailed information about the actions of Israeli aviation over Syrian territory on this day, which the commander of the Israeli Air Force will soon bring to Moscow," the Kremlin press service reported. Vladimir Putin recalled that such operations of the Israeli Air Force are being undertaken in violation of the sovereignty of Syria. In this case, not Russian-Israeli agreements on preventing dangerous incidents were also observed. As a result, the Il-20 came under fire from Syrian air defense systems. The Russian leader called for such situations not to happen again.
The Il-20 plane disappeared the day before at about 23:00 (Moscow time). He was returning to the Russian Khmeimim airbase. The aircraft was 35 km from the Syrian coast when contact with the crew was lost. This was reported to the Russian Ministry of Defense. There were 14 people on board. "Morning" is following the latest details.
16:06. The defense ministers of Russia and Israel discussed the incident in Syria by telephone. The details of the conversation remain unknown, reports the Daily Storm Telegram channel.
15:30. The Israel Defense Forces is ready to provide the Russian Federation with all the information necessary to investigate the destruction of the Il-20. “Israel will share all relevant information with the Russian government to study the incident and confirm the facts,” RIA Novosti quoted the Army press service as saying.
14:38. The Israeli army has finally commented on the situation with the downed plane. Israel mourns the crash of the Il-20, a statement issued today said. TASS writes about this.
11:55. The Federation Council stated the need for a tough conversation with Israel against the backdrop of its hostile actions, which led to to the death of 15 Russian soldiers, reports RIA Novosti.
11:50. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman.
“The blame for the downing of the Russian plane and the death of the crew lies entirely on the Israeli side,” Shoigu said. He reminded Lieberman that Russia has repeatedly called on Israel to refrain from attacks on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, which could threaten the lives of our military. TASS writes about this with reference to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
11:45. The crash site of a Russian plane has been discovered. The IL-20 was found 27 km west of the village of Banias (Latakia).
“Fragments of the crew’s bodies and personal belongings, as well as aircraft debris, were lifted aboard the Russian ships,” RIA Novosti quotes the Ministry of Defense as saying.
11:25.
Meanwhile, Damascus refuses to communicate with the media. “There are no comments on this issue,” the press service of the political department of the Syrian army responded to a request about the incident with the downed Russian Il-20 to RIA Novosti.
10:50. The Ministry of Defense officially stated that the Il-20 was shot down by mistake from a Syrian S-200 air defense system. The plane was exposed to Israeli fighters who carried out strikes on Syrian territory. The Ministry of Defense described Israel's actions as hostile and provocative. The department added that it “reserves the right to take adequate response actions.”
10:25.
Experts have put forward a new version of what happened to our plane. Syrian air defense could not shoot down the Il-20. Surely they warned about the flight of the Russian aircraft. Using portable air defense systems, it is difficult to ensure that such a large aircraft with four engines crashes to the ground. This opinion was expressed in a conversation with RIA Novosti by the head of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Konstantin Sivkov.
He suggests that the Il-20 was shot down by Israeli fighters.
10:20. Information has emerged that Russian aviation, the fleet and air defense are put on full combat readiness. However, there is no official confirmation, notes the Telegram channel “SMI_li”.
9:20. An “unforeseen incident of a critical nature” could have occurred on board the plane with the Russian military. A source in the international search and rescue authorities reported this to Interfax. The agency's interlocutor put forward a version that the wreckage of the plane could have fallen into the Mediterranean Sea and sank.
8:50. The French also disowned the missile strike. “We deny any involvement in this attack,” Francesoir quoted an army spokesman as saying.
8:30.
Israel remains silent for now. The military refused to comment on the attack on the SAR and the disappearance of our plane, RIA Novosti reports.
“We do not comment on reports from abroad,” a spokeswoman for the defense army press service told the agency.
8:20.
Meanwhile, CNN, citing a source in the American government, reports that a Russian plane was shot down by Syrian air defenses while intercepting Israeli missiles.
8:15. Nothing is known yet about the fate of the servicemen; the IL-20 is now being searched for. The Navy rescue tug "Professor Nikolai Murov" is located near the port of Tartus.
8:10.
Four Israeli Air Force F-16 aircraft struck Syrian territory. Later, data appeared about missile launches from the French frigate Auvergne in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the FREDA air defense frigate, which is armed with 32 Aster 30 missiles with a launch range of up to 120 kilometers.
8:00. Earlier, information appeared about an Israeli missile attack on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Several explosions occurred in Latakia - several enterprises and a plant, as well as a power plant, were attacked, RIA Novosti reports. At the same time, a military source in Syria said that the missiles were fired from the sea. Seven people were injured as a result of the attack.
Russia blames Israel and reserves the right to retaliate. If you follow the statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Il-20 was destroyed by a Syrian air defense missile that fired at Israeli aircraft. They covered themselves with the Russian side, deliberately creating a dangerous situation, the ministry claims.
Il-20 airplane. Photo: Maxim Kuzovkov/TASS
Updated at 14:42
The blame for the Russian Il-20 shot down in Syria and for the death of the crew lies entirely with the Israeli side. This was stated by the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu in a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman.
“The Russian Ministry of Defense, through various channels of interaction, has repeatedly called on the Israeli side to refrain from attacks on Syrian territory that pose a threat to the safety of Russian military personnel,” the ministry emphasized.
Earlier, Moscow admitted that the Il-20 of the Russian Aerospace Forces was accidentally shot down by Syrian air defense forces. At the same time, Moscow laid the blame for the incident on Tel Aviv, since several Israeli Air Force planes were nearby - it was at them or at their bombs that the Syrian missile was fired.
The Israeli army later said that the country was mourning the death of the Russian plane. However, she believes that Damascus, as well as Iran and Hezbollah, are responsible for what happened. Israel considers the Syrian side “fully responsible” in this situation. In addition, the country is ready to provide the Russian government with all the necessary information.
There were 15 Russian servicemen on board the downed reconnaissance plane. No survivors are reported. The plane crashed 30 kilometers off the coast of Latakia, and eight ships and boats of the Russian Navy were involved in the search.
A statement was made by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov:
“The approach to the targets was carried out at low altitude from the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, Israeli aircraft deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in the area. The bombing was carried out near the location of the French frigate Auvergne and in close proximity to the Il-20 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces that was landing. Using a Russian plane as cover, Israeli pilots exposed it to Syrian air defense fire. As a result, the Il-20, which has an effective reflective surface an order of magnitude greater than that of the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 missile. Israeli aircraft controls and F-16 pilots could not help but see the Russian plane as it came in for landing from an altitude of five kilometers. Nevertheless, they deliberately went for this provocation. The command of the Russian group of troops in Syria did not warn the command of the Russian group of troops in Syria about the planned operation. The hotline received a notification less than one minute before the strike, which prevented the Russian plane from being brought to a safe zone. We regard these provocative actions of Israel as hostile. As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed. This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership. We reserve the right to respond appropriately."
The Kremlin is concerned about the incident. Here's what presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said:
Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration - Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation“The situation is being analyzed. You know that the first data from this analysis were announced in a statement by the Ministry of Defense. The actions that were called provocative were assessed very clearly. Therefore, there is no need now to add anything to such a clear statement that was made by our defense department. Everything else comes later."
How did it happen that the Syrian air defense system did not work “friend or foe?” Reasons Head of the analytical department of the magazine “Soldiers of Russia” Anatoly Matviychuk:
— There is such a situation that our planes, as allies of Syria, are equipped with a “friend or foe” system. As a matter of fact, [to] target Syrian air defense weapons, this aircraft was quite problematic. This system constantly asks...
— Could the “friend or foe” system fail? Why didn't it work?
- No. This is a guaranteed system. Certain passwords are entered there. These passwords have also been communicated to the Syrian air defense, since they are our allies. It is problematic to aim the weapon, because the aiming system will definitely malfunction and refuse to hit your plane.
— Is there a risk of similar repeated incidents?
— We learn from mistakes. After a Turkish fighter shot down our plane, we began flying with cover. Maybe now we will fly with cover.
Answered the same question Chairman of the PIR Center Board Evgeniy Buzhinsky:
— The rocket does not have a “friend or foe” [system]. The S-200 complex is not “friend or foe.” It simply detects the target, locks on and goes to the target. Another thing is that indeed, if they fired or launched a missile at the F-16 and it was covered by the Il-20, which has a reflective surface, naturally, as Konashenkov correctly said, an order of magnitude greater, naturally, this missile hit the Il-20, and not in the F-16. She didn’t retarget anything there, the Israeli just made a maneuver and covered himself with our plane. But just imagine, you’re driving along the road, and suddenly something flies towards you from the side (you’re driving in the far right lane), and a truck is walking in the next one. You - once! — stood under a truck, and the car flying from the side crashed into the truck, not into you. I think so because the S-200 is not the smartest missile. This is a fairly old complex. This is not the S-400 or the S-500, where the missile is already more advanced.
— Can what happened be explained by a version of an immediate mistake by the Syrian air defense forces?
- What do you mean by mistake? The Syrian air defense system is working, they see four F-16s flying. Well, naturally, they don’t just fly to flap their wings, but to strike. Naturally, they are brought into a combat position and begin to intercept or fire at these targets. Nothing, no mistake. There is normal work in war conditions.
The Israeli Ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry due to the situation with the Il-20 plane shot down in Syria.
Tel Aviv did not comment on the situation as a whole and new statements by the Russian military at the time of publication of the material. There was no particular interest in the incident in Israel either, he says Israeli journalist and analyst of the Izrus Internet portal Alexander Kogan:
— The day of mourning is coming, Yom Kippur. That is, Syria, Iran, Iraq and so on - there are some references to what happened on the territory of Syria, about the plane shot down, as I understand it, by Syrian air defenses, but I want to upset you or make you happy: this is not a key topic for Israel to date. We begin fasting in seven hours, which will last 25 hours. If the Israelis launched an attack on Syrian territory, then in order to take advantage of a landing Russian plane, they had to thoroughly know the schedule of landings, departures, and flights of Russian planes. Do you think that this is really a realistic scenario for the development of events, that there really seems to be coordination going on in this regard - guys, at 00:23 minutes our plane will land at such and such an airfield? I doubt.
— The Israeli Air Force usually attacks Iranian targets in southwest Syria, near Israeli border. And what could they, accordingly, do in Latakia?
“I don’t know, I don’t have the slightest idea, because, firstly, once again, as I told you, at the moment there is no official confirmation from the Israeli side that it was the Israeli Air Force that bombed any objects in Latakia. Secondly, as if in Latakia, as far as I know in general, the level of coordination and what is happening in Syria between Israel and Russia has always been very high level. There several times Russian planes flew into Israeli territory, and problems of this kind were resolved very quickly. There were no conflict situations. In this matter, again, it means that maybe something went wrong in coordination, if indeed we are talking about Israeli planes. I think at this point officials will refrain from making any comments until it is truly clear what this is all about.
There are regular reports in the press and from the Syrian authorities about Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory. Typically, the targets are Hezbollah and pro-Iranian units. Israel takes a principled position and, as a rule, does not comment on the possible participation of its aircraft in such operations.
