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 dead.
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 everyone 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 the wrong target is not struck is not realized.”
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.
The Russian Ministry of Defense presented recordings of data from the radar system of the S-400 air defense complex, which shows the moment of the defeat of the Il-20 in Syria. Broadcast of a briefing by department representative Igor Konashenkov led RT.
The picture of events is presented as it appears on the screen at the combat control point of the S-400 complex. That is, screens are shown separately for the azimuth and range of the target (in other words, a top view), as well as for range and altitude. The Russian plane is displayed in green (it is recognized by the “Password” system - that is, “friend or foe”), the Israeli plane is displayed in yellow, and the Syrian anti-aircraft missile is in red. This is what it looked like before the defeat of the IL-20:
According to Konashenkov, when the missile was over the Russian Il-20, its homing head reoriented towards it as a larger target.
Judging by the image, the missile dropped from 15 to 10 kilometers in half a minute - the altitude at which the Israeli plane was in front of it. But at that moment, directly under the missile (even lower, at 5 kilometers) there was a Russian Il-20. The rocket continued its descent and hit him. Konashenkov said that this development of events confirms Moscow’s version: the Israeli plane “took refuge” behind the Russian one from the missile.
The operation of the Russian Ministry of Defense continues in the Mediterranean Sea to search for a Russian Il-20M aircraft of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) with 14 military personnel on board, which disappeared from radar in Syria on Tuesday night. It is not yet clear what could have happened to the plane. At this time, the Russian military recorded missile launches from the sea area where the French frigate Auvergne is located. Israeli F-16 warplanes also carried out strikes in the province of Latakia. The French and Israeli military have not yet commented on the situation surrounding the disappearance of the Russian military aircraft.
The Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft (NATO designation - Coot-A) of the Russian Aerospace Forces returned to the Khmeimim military base over the Mediterranean Sea late on Monday. There were 14 people on board - crew and specialists. At approximately 23:00, the plane disappeared from the Russian military aviation control radars 35 kilometers from coastline. At this time, Russian radar air control systems noticed several missile launches from the French military frigate Auvergne, which was located in the same area. In addition, four Israeli F-16 fighter jets attacked Syrian targets in the province of Latakia.
Russian command military base Khmeimim has already organized a search and rescue operation in the area where the Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft went missing.
The French and Israeli military have not yet commented on reports of the disappearance of a Russian Il-20 aircraft in their military area of operation.
Let's remember that last weekend warships NATO's second standing naval group has approached the shores of Syria. The Eastern Mediterranean area is now patrolled by frigates from the Canadian, Greek and Dutch navies.
In addition, a nuclear strike was previously spotted off the coast of Syria. Submarine Talent of the British Royal Navy, equipped with ten Tomahawk cruise missiles. Also in the area is a group of US Navy ships equipped with at least 204 similar missiles.
Earlier, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that in recent days, Syrian air defense units managed to shoot down several missiles that were fired from the Mediterranean Sea at targets in the city of Latakia, as well as international airport in Damascus. According to the agency, explosions were heard across Latakia on Monday, and eyewitnesses reported missiles in the sky. Syrian government agencies reported that missile strike accounted for local factories for the production of aluminum, household chemicals, as well as a local power plant. According to the Minister of Electricity of the Republic, Muhammad Zuher Kharbutli, the missile attack lasted for an hour and a half. As a result, power lines have failed in some places. Repair crews have fully completed the restoration work.
The Il-20 integrated radio-electronic, photo reconnaissance and radio interception aircraft was created in 1968 on the basis of passenger plane IL-18. It is intended for reconnaissance along the state border and border strip. On the sides of the cabin there are cameras for advanced aerial photography and a general electronic reconnaissance station. In the ventral gondola there is an antenna for a side-view radar and detailed electronic reconnaissance, and radio interception equipment. The IL-20 can be used for radio interception and scanning of enemy radio broadcasts, which makes it possible to determine the location of concentration of enemy forces.
There are usually eight radio operators on board the aircraft, as well as a crew of five. The Military Space Forces are armed with 15 Il-20Ms, and the Navy aviation has several more aircraft.
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 this 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. By " hotline"The notification arrived less than a minute before the strike, which prevented the Russian aircraft 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.
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. At the same time, 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; 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 aircraft.
— 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.
The press and Syrian authorities regularly report 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.
