Russian MoD

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that one of its Il-20 Coot eavesdropping aircraft was shot down late on Thursday by a Syrian S-200 missile battery as it was approaching Hmeymim airbase near Latakia

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that one of its Il-20 Coot eavesdropping aircraft was shot down late on Thursday by a Syrian S-200 missile battery as it was approaching Hmeymim airbase near Latakia

MOSCOW --- Russia’s military plane Ilyushin-20 was shot down by the Syrian air defense over the Mediterranean Sea because Israel’s F-16 fighters used it as a cover, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told the media on Tuesday. 

"By using the Russian plane as a cover, the Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire. As a result, the Ilyushin-20, its reflective surface being far greater than that of F-16, was downed by a missile launched with the S-200 system," Konashenkov said. 

Konashenkov said four F-16s of the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike with guided air bombs against Syrian facilities in the area of Latakia at about 22:00 on September 17. The fighters approached the target from the Mediterranean at a low altitude. 

The Israeli planes deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in that area, he stated. 

"The bombing raid was near the French frigate The Auvergne and in close proximity to the Ilyushin-20 plane of Russia’s Aerospace Force that was about to land," Konashenkov said. 

He pointed out that Israeli command centers and F-16s’ pilots "could not but see the Russian plane, which was approaching the runway from an altitude of five kilometers."

"Nevertheless, they deliberately staged this provocation," he said. 

According to Konashenkov, Israel had issued no warning to the command of the Russian military group in Syria of the forthcoming operation. 

"A hot-line warning was received less than one minute before the strike, which left no chance for taking the Russian plane to safety," he added.