Israel rejects responsibility in downing of Russian aircraft

The Israeli military has rejected claims its fighter jets indirectly caused a Russian military plane to be shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft fire. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli army said it holds Syria, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah responsible for the incident, in which 15 Russian crew members were killed. 

After the shoot-down Moscow placed the blame on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets were mounting air attacks on Syrian targets at the time and only gave Moscow one minute’s warning, putting the Russian aircraft in danger of being caught in the crossfire.

“We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile,” Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state television.

“As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished.”

Weapons depot

The Israeli military expressed sorrow at the deaths, but placed the blame squarely on the Syrian anti-aircraft missile batteries that struck the Russian plane.

It confirmed it “targeted” a Syrian military facility the Israeli military said was about to transfer weapons to Hezbollah on behalf of Iran.

But it insisted the Russian plane had been felled by “extensive and inaccurate” Syrian anti-aircraft fire, adding anti-air batteries “did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air”.

By the time the Russian plane was hit, the Israeli jets were already out of Syria and back in their own airspace, Israeli army added.

An Israeli diplomatic source told the Reuters news agency Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to speak soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the incident.

Putin said on Tuesday the shooting down of the plane was the result of a “chain of tragic and chance circumstances”.

Moscow would beef up security for Russian military personnel in Syria as a priority response, Putin told reporters in Moscow.

“These will be the steps that everyone will notice,” he said, without providing further details.

Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said Putin’s “use of measured language shows he does not want to escalate this any further”. 

A row between Israel and Russia could restrict Israel’s ability to mount air raids inside Syria on what it considers the greatest threat to its security from the Syria conflict: the build-up of Iranian forces or Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Since intervening in Syria’s civil war in 2015, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks inside the country. Israel has carried out about 200 such attacks in the last two years, according to Israeli officials.