A reconnaissance plane shot down in Syria. A plane carrying Russian troops went missing in Syria

15 Russian servicemen were killed

A Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was mistakenly shot down by Syrian air defenses during its approach to Khmeimim. The fire from the Syrian S-200 on board the Russian military personnel was caused by Israeli Air Force F-16 fighters, which carried out strikes on Damascus-controlled territory for 40 minutes. The Israelis were supported by the French Navy. Paris hastened to assure that they had nothing to do with the death of the Russian plane. Tel Aviv is in no hurry to comment. All 15 Russians aboard the Il were killed. The Ministry of Defense promised adequate responses to Israel's hostile actions.

22:25 “This is very sad,” said US President Donald Trump, who was recently informed of the incident. The American leader noted that Syria is to blame for what happened, and this is “not a good situation.”

22:05 Meanwhile, the Investigative Committee of Russia informs about the initiation of a criminal case. Forensic experts have already arrived at the scene, where, together with representatives of the Ministry of Defense, they are clarifying the circumstances of the Il-20 crash.

21:48 But this, quite contradictory, was the reaction of the Israeli media: from concerns about the deterioration of relations between the two countries.

20:34 Yes, the subject of conversation between Shoigu and Parley was not only the Il-20, but the situation in Syria in general and in the Idlib de-escalation zone in particular. But Shoigu notified his colleague “about the known circumstances of the disaster.”

20:15 Shoigu had a conversation with French Defense Minister Francois Parly. It is reported that the initiative belonged to the French side. The French previously said that their frigate Auvergne, which last evening fired missiles near Latakia simultaneously with an Israeli airstrike, had nothing to do with the death of the Il-20.

20:02 The Kremlin confirmed that Netanyahu promised to provide detailed information about the actions of Israeli aviation on that day.

20:01 Putin also called on Israel to prevent such situations from happening in the future. And he recalled that the Israeli Air Force is operating across Syrian territory in violation of its sovereignty.

19:59 Netanyahu's office has already reported on the progress of the telephone conversation with Putin. The Kremlin now says: Putin accused Israel of non-compliance with bilateral agreements about preventing dangerous incidents, which is why the IL-20 came under fire from Syrian air defenses.

19:49 Syria for the first time commented on the death of the downed Il-20. The Permanent Representative to the UN during his speech said that the country expresses condolences and considers.

19:40 Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Vershinin told Deputy Ambassador of Israel in Moscow Keren Cohen-Gat during a conversation at the department that Moscow considers the actions of the Israeli Air Force irresponsible.

18:59 An official representative of the US Pentagon said that the Western coalition has nothing to do with what happened with the Il-20.

18:47 The head of the Israeli Air Force can personally help Moscow with the investigation. Netanyahu offered to send him to the Russian capital to convey all the information on the incident.

18:26 Netanyahu told Putin that he expresses condolences and that Israel is ready to provide all possible assistance in the investigation of the tragedy and provide full information.

18:24 Netanyahu and Putin held telephone conversations.

18:05 At a meeting of the UN Security Council, US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey expressed condolences over the death of the Il-20.

17:19 The story of a military pilot - "MK":

16:57 By the way, about why the Il-20 took off from the airbase that evening. According to Shoigu, the plane was carrying out a reconnaissance mission “in the Idlib de-escalation zone.” According to the head of the Ministry of Defense, "Il" was looking for storage sites for drones, which fly out of Idlib and attack different areas of Syria.

16:51 The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, expressed his condolences. In his Telegram channel, he expressed confidence that the Russian military will take all necessary measures to prevent this from happening in the future.

16:43 Shoigu: the Russian Il-20 plane was shot down “as a result of retaliatory actions to an Israeli air attack on Syrian air defense systems.”

16:38 Shoigu: “Today we notified our Israeli colleagues, in particular, I notified the Israeli Minister of Defense that we will not leave such actions, such steps unanswered.”

16:35 Shoigu: Israel launched strikes on Syria, hiding behind the Russian Il-20, believing that “Syrian air defense systems will not operate in this direction.”

16:34 Now a statement from Defense Minister Shoigu.

16:12 Putin also states that the Il-20 tragedy cannot be compared with the Russian Su-24, which was shot down by the Turkish military - there, according to the president, the situation was different: "Now it's . We have to seriously look into it.".

16:11 Putin: Russia will provide additional security for its military in Syria. “These will be actions that everyone will notice.”

16:10 Putin states that Russia's official position on the situation with the Il-20 is set out by the Ministry of Defense: "Our attitude is expressed in a statement from the Ministry of Defense, with which I fully agree."

16:09 Putin makes an official statement on the downed Il-20.

15:56 Syria is not the only culprit in the death of the Il-20, as follows from the official statement of the Israeli Armed Forces. After Damascus was accused of unprofessionalism, the Israeli military released an addendum. . Allegedly, at the Syrian army facilities that were bombed by F-16s yesterday, there were weapons that, at the instigation of Tehran, were soon to be sent to “Lebanese terrorists” and then used against Israel.

15:39 The former commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces, in a conversation with MK, commented on the situation:

15:26 An RIA diplomatic source said that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will soon have a telephone conversation with President Putin.

15:21 The Ministry of Defense reserved the right to an adequate response to Israel for the behavior of its fighters, which caused Syrian air defense fire on the Il-20. In the State Duma.

15:00 Deputy Ambassador of Israel Keren Cohen-Gat arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

14:55 Meanwhile, in a conversation with MK.

14:50 Israel accuses the Syrian military of unprofessionalism: “The Syrian air defense fired aimlessly and, as far as we can judge, were not convinced that there were no Russian aircraft in the air.” "Intense and inaccurate Syrian fire (surface-to-air missiles) led to the defeat of the Russian aircraft."

14:47 Israel declares its readiness to provide Russia with all information to investigate the circumstances of the death of the Il-20.

14:46 The Israeli army insists that the Syrians launched the missiles after the Israeli planes returned to their airspace.

14:45 The Israeli Armed Forces confirm that they carried out strikes on Syrian Armed Forces targets. “During the strikes on targets in Latakia, the Russian aircraft was outside the operation zone.”

14:44 So, Israel claims that it warned Russia about the impending air strike. This was previously stated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, but they indicated that the warning was received a minute before the start of the operation.

12:21 On Tuesday night, CNN reported that the Il-20 that disappeared from radar was shot down by Syrian air defense. The source of information was not indicated.

12:11 Peskov: “The President deeply sympathizes with all the relatives, friends and colleagues of the crew members of the deceased aircraft.”

12:10 Peskov: what happened will not affect the agreements between Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan on Idlib.

12:09 Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov: Moscow’s position was outlined by the Ministry of Defense.

12:00 Shoigu: the irresponsible actions of the Israeli Air Force led to the tragedy.

11:58 Shoigu: The Ministry of Defense has repeatedly, through various channels, called on Israel to refrain from striking Syria.

11:52 Sergei Shoigu had a telephone conversation with the Israeli Minister of Defense. He emphasized that it was they who were to blame for the death of the Il-20.

11:48 Member of the Federation Council Defense Committee Franz Klintsevich: “The Israeli Air Force are provocateurs and the cause of the death of our 15 servicemen.”

11:43 Ministry of Defense: Israel notified Russia of an airstrike in Syria - but only one minute before the start of the operation: “The hotline received notification less than 1 minute before the strike.”

11:42 Russia must give a tough answer, said the first deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Defense, Alexander Sherin: “If a bandit breaks into your house to kill your children and wife, then the answer should be the toughest, no one will sit in the kitchen at this time and drink tea.” .

11:37 Fragments of the bodies of crew members and some aircraft debris were lifted aboard Russian ships.

11:30 The IL-20 crashed 27 km west of the village of Banias in the province of Latakia. The Seliger vessel with deep-sea vehicles is heading to the site. In total, eight naval ships, boats and support vessels are participating in the search.

A telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may still take place today. The incident in the Syrian sky will be discussed at the highest level.

Communication with the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was lost the day before at about 10 pm. At that moment, he was over the Mediterranean Sea, 35 kilometers from the coast of Syria. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The airliner was returning to the Khmeimim airbase.

It was at this moment that Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian targets near the city of Latakia. They used guided bombs. What these goals were is not reported. A total of four F-16 aircraft took part in the raid. The approach to the targets, as specified by the Russian defense department, was carried out at low altitude precisely 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,” said official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov.

As noted by the Ministry of Defense, Israeli pilots actually exposed the Russian plane to the fire of Syrian air defense systems, which repelled the raid. At today's meeting of the Ministry of Defense, a minute of silence was observed for the 15 deceased crew members. Shortly before this, the head of the defense department, Sergei Shoigu, held telephone conversations with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman.

“Today we notified our Israeli colleagues, in particular, I notified the Israeli Defense Minister that we will not leave such actions, such steps unanswered. All experts understand that under the cover of our Il-20 aircraft, assuming that the Syrian air defense systems would not operate in this direction, a strike was carried out,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Il-20 is a fairly large ship, created on the basis of the civilian Il-18, capable of accommodating up to 122 passengers.

“The IL-20 is a four-engine aircraft converted from the IL-18 passenger aircraft. Quite old - published in the 60s and 70s. At the moment, these aircraft are undergoing appropriate modernization. New equipment is installed on them, and major restoration repairs are carried out. It’s okay that this plane is still a Soviet edition, no. The Americans have exactly the same aircraft engaged in maritime radio reconnaissance. This is Pi-8 Orion. That is, this is a normal situation,” explained military expert Dmitry Drozdenko.

The reflective surface of the IL-20 is an order of magnitude greater than that of the F-16. That is why a missile fired by the Syrians from the S-200 complex hit a Russian plane.

“Israeli aircraft controls and F-16 pilots could not help but see the Russian plane as it came in to land from an altitude of 5 km. 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 did not allow the Russian plane to be brought into a safe zone,” explained Igor Konashenkov.

“This is just some kind of blasphemy - 50 seconds before the start of this bombing, you see, they reported the start of their military operations via the hotline. This is just ridicule, this is mockery, this is precisely an indicator that they believe that everything is allowed to them, but nothing is allowed to us,” says orientalist, associate professor at St. Petersburg Pedagogical University. Herzen Sergei Rudasev.

The crash site of the Il-20 is 27 kilometers west of the village of Baniyas in the province of Latakia. The search operation is currently ongoing. It involves eight ships of the Russian Navy, including a ship with deep-sea vehicles capable of diving to 2.5 thousand meters. Wreckage of the plane, fragments of the crew's bodies, and personal belongings were found. The Deputy Ambassador of Israel in Moscow was summoned to the Foreign Ministry today. She stayed there for about half an hour. From the comments it turned out to be the exit.

The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement this afternoon. It confirms that it was its planes that bombed Syria and also expresses regret over the deaths of Russians.

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 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 the 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 at the highest level. There, Russian planes flew into Israeli territory several times, 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.

A Russian military electronic reconnaissance aircraft with 15 military personnel on board disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea while returning to the Khmeimim airbase. The base lost contact with it on Monday, September 17, at about 23:00 Moscow time, when the aircraft was over the Mediterranean Sea, 35 kilometers from the coast of Syria.

The plane disappeared at the same time four Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jets launched missile attacks on several targets in the coastal city of Latakia. The official Syrian news agency SANA reported that air defense batteries intercepted several missiles. It was alleged that the Israeli Air Force attacked "household chemicals and aluminum factories, as well as a power plant in Saqubia" from the sea. However, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the missile strike destroyed two weapons depots in the area of ​​the Syrian naval base.

The command of the Russian airbase organized a search and rescue operation, but the fate of the Russian military is unknown, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

According to the source, the disaster occurred when the Syrian military tried to shoot down Israeli missiles launched into Syria.

The fact that Washington believes that the Russian plane was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft guns is also reported by Reuters, citing an unnamed American official.

However, official Damascus has not yet given any comments.

The Rossiya-24 TV channel, citing certain sources, reports that the Syrian air defense forces (ADF) repelled an attack by the Israeli Air Force for more than half an hour last evening, when the IL-20 plane disappeared. “Syrian air defense systems operated for more than 40 minutes. Some of the missiles were intercepted, but some hit the target, hitting industrial facilities, including a plant for the production of aluminum and household chemicals,” the TV channel reports.

The press service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) does not comment on information about the shelling. “We do not comment on reports from abroad,” said a spokeswoman for the Israeli army.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Buk anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) missile, which shot down the Malaysian Boeing, was produced in the city of Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, in 1986, but was almost immediately sent to Ukraine, from where it never returned to Russia. And at the time of the attack on the passenger airliner four years ago, this missile was in service with the Ukrainian army.

The missile with tail number 886847379 arrived at military unit 20152 - the 223rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. In 1986, this brigade was part of the Carpathian Military District and was stationed in the city of Terebovlya, Ternopil region of the Ukrainian SSR. It was armed with Buk air defense systems. After the collapse of the USSR, this military unit was not withdrawn to the territory of the Russian Federation, but was included in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The missile that shot down the plane was in service with a missile regiment that was involved in operations in eastern Ukraine. By decree of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, this unit was renamed the 223rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment. It is currently stationed in the city of Stryi, Lviv region, and is still armed with Buk missile systems.

Help: IL-20 or "Coot"

When Russian TV channels broadcast a real-time image of an interactive map showing attack aircraft striking militant positions in Syria, this footage is often the result of observation by an Il-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft.

Il-20 (according to NATO codification Coot, “Coot”), created by the Ilyushin Design Bureau, is an electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare (EW) aircraft equipped with an IR scanner, optical sensors, and side-view radar.

The Il-20 aircraft, developed in 1965 on the basis of the Il-18D passenger aircraft, whose long flight range and spacious fuselage made it possible to create such a machine in a short time and at minimal cost, was intended for comprehensive reconnaissance of the border strip without flying over the state border. To solve these problems, a special complex of reconnaissance equipment was created, the equipment of which was placed in the passenger cabin of the aircraft and its luggage compartments on the lower deck, recalls RIA Novosti.

On March 21, 1968, the first flight of the prototype Il-20 aircraft took place. Testing of the fully equipped Il-20 was completed in the summer of 1969.

The aircraft was used for reconnaissance along the border strip and state border and is considered the first reconnaissance aircraft in the Soviet Union. In the ventral gondola of the aircraft there was an antenna for the Igla-1 side-view radar. The aircraft was also equipped with a detailed electronic reconnaissance station "Kvadrat-2" and radio interception equipment "Cherry". In the front and middle parts of the passenger cabin there are seats for six (later eight) radio operators.

The Il-20 aircraft, as well as the modernized Il-20M and Il-20M1 that followed them with more advanced equipment, were not part of the reconnaissance air regiments or squadrons of the Soviet Air Force, but were subordinate directly to the command of the military districts; each district had several such aircraft.

In 1980, on the basis of the improved Il-18D passenger aircraft, the Il-20RT was created, which was used as a telemetry aircraft for missile testing and was based in the Baikonur region. Also at the same time, an air command post was created on the basis of the Il-18D, called the Il-22. Almost all Il-20 and Il-22 aircraft were painted in standard Aeroflot colors and also had the inscription “Il-18” on the sides.

In 2009, it was decided to begin work on converting the Il-22 into a jamming aircraft, designated Il-22PP. In 2011, testing of the finished aircraft began, and in 2016, three Il-22PP aircraft were delivered to the customer.

The wingspan of the Il-20 is 37.42 meters. The length of the aircraft is 35.9 meters, height is 10.17 meters.

Maximum take-off weight - 64 tons. Maximum speed is 675 kilometers per hour, cruising speed is 620 kilometers per hour. Flight range - 6.2 thousand kilometers. Crew - 13 people.

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, according to a statement released today. 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 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, navy and air defense are 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.