Russia blames Israel for mistaken Syria strike on plane
Moscow says Israeli warplanes “created a dangerous situation,” which led to the shooting down of a Russian military plane by Syrian air defense systems, saying Russia reserves the right to give a due response.
The plane had vanished from radar screens over Syria’s Latakia Province ate Monday while Israeli and French forces were launching strikes against the Arab country.
“The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane as cover and set it up to be targeted by the Syrian air defense forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
“As a consequence, the Il-20, which has radar cross-section much larger than the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 system missile,” it added.
Israeli warplanes have carried out several airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, targeting a number of areas in the north and the northwest of the coastal enclave.
Israeli warplanes have conducted fresh airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip, shortly after Israeli troops attacked and injured dozens of Palestinians during anti-occupation protests near the fence separating the coastal sliver from the occupied territories.
A high-ranking Iraqi military commander says the country’s army has received a new batch of advanced T-90 battle tanks from Russia under a major deal struck between Moscow and Baghdad in July 2017.
A Russian official says Moscow will do all it can to prevent potential intervention in Venezuela by the United States, which has not ruled out the military option to overthrow the elected government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Russia has opposed an anti-Iran summit due to be organized by the United States in Poland as “unacceptable” and “counterproductive,” saying Moscow will not attend the so-called Middle East security forum, which is merely meant to “shift the international focus” from the real crises gripping the region.
social pages
instagram telegram twiter RSS