[ad_1]
-
FILE- In this photo file taken on Saturday, March 4, 2017, Russian aircraft Il-20 Russian aviation aircraft bearing registration number RF 93610, accidentally shot down by Syrian forces in response to an Israeli air strike, flies near Kubinka Airport outside Moscow, Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense accused Sunday, September 23, 2018 its accusations against Israel for causing the destruction of a Russian military aircraft over Syria. (AP Photo / Marina Lystseva)
-
FILE- In this photo taken on Friday, May 4, 2018, the spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major Igor Konashenkov, speaks at an information meeting in the building of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Defense in Moscow, Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense has renewed its accusations against Israel for causing the destruction of a Russian military aircraft over Syria. (AP Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
MOSCOW – The Russian Defense Ministry again accused Israel Sunday of shooting down a Russian plane by Syrian government forces and said that Israel seemed "thankless" for Moscow's efforts to contain the fighters backed by the government. Iran in Syria.
Syrian government forces took the Il-20 Russian reconnaissance aircraft for an Israeli plane and shot it on Monday, killing the 15 people on board. While the Russian army initially blamed Israel for the loss of the plane, President Vladimir Putin later attributed it to "a string of tragic and fatal circumstances".
The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday presented its latest findings on the fall of Il-20, directly accusing Israel.
"We believe that the Israeli Air Force and those making decisions about these actions are fully responsible for the tragedy that occurred in the Russian Il-20 aircraft," General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special telephone line to prevent their air forces from confronting Syria. Russia has provided key air support to President Bashar Assad's forces since 2015, while Israel has been conducting dozens of strikes against forces related to Iran. Israeli military officials have already praised the effectiveness of the hotline.
But Konashenkov accused Sunday Israel of using this phone line to deceive Russia on his plans. He added that the Russians were not able to take the I-20 to a safe place because an Israeli service officer had misled them into explaining an Israeli operation in northern Syria.
Konashenkov said that an Israeli fighter plane flying over the Mediterranean coast of Syria shortly before the fall was deliberately using the Russian plane as a shield, reflecting "either a lack of professionalism or criminal negligence".
He also complained that the Israelis, over the years, waited until the last minute to inform Russia of their operations, endangering Russian planes. He described Israel's actions as "a highly thankless response to all that Russia has done recently for the state of Israel".
He referred to Russia's efforts to contain Iran-backed forces in Syria, including an agreement reached in July to keep these fighters within 85 kilometers (53 miles) of Israel's occupied Golan Heights.
