When the news broke on 17th September that a large scale missile strike on Syria’s Latakia province – the heartland of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect – was underway. The first thing that many seasoned observers guessed was that the strike was the work of Israel. This turned out to be correct while it almost came out in the mix that a French warship – ‘Auvergne’ – was also involved. (1)
During the raid a Russian Il-20 was shot down over the Mediterranean sea killing all 14 of military personnel on board. (2)
Russia initially blamed France (3) then Israel (4) and now it is believed that Syrian air defences defending against the raid accidentally shot down the Russian jet. (5)
That this is indeed the case is also suggested by the fact that the Syrian government arrested and interrogated several members of its military forces who are believed to have been responsible. (6)
However despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that Israel ‘was not responsible’, (7) which Putin appears to have acquiesced to for political reasons. (8) The key but unspoken word here is ‘directly’.
It is apparently true that Israel’s forces didn’t shoot down the Russian Il-20, but it also clear that the four Israeli jets who carried out the strikes used the Il-20 as radar cover during their initial attack run. (9)
This is made abundantly clear in the Russian Defence Ministry’s official graphic plan of the attack as well as when:
‘The Kremlin said Putin told Netanyahu that agreements reached between Russia and Israel regarding the prevention of dangerous incidents "were not observed." The statement added that Putin asked Netanyahu to avoid such situations in the future.
The Kremlin's statement came after Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow told Israel it will take all necessary measures to protect its military personnel in Syria.’ (10)
In other word’s while Russia doesn’t hold Israel directly responsible for shooting down the Il-20 on 17th September 2018. They hold them indirectly responsible for causing the Syrian anti-aircraft gunners to bring down the aircraft by using it and its crew as cover. (11)
References
(1) https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/russian-military-jet-carrying-14-servicemen-vanishes-off-radar-1.771279
(2) Ibid.
(3) Ibid.
(4) https://www.france24.com/en/20180918-syria-russia-military-plane-disappears-radar-near-syria-israel-attack-latakia
(5) https://worldisraelnews.com/downed-russian-plane-was-syrias-fault-netanyahu-tells-putin/
(6) https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-airstrike-left-syria-arms-warehouse-in-ruins-satellite-images-show/
(7) https://worldisraelnews.com/downed-russian-plane-was-syrias-fault-netanyahu-tells-putin/
(8) https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria-shoots-down-russian-spyplane-during-israeli-strike-russia-blasts-israel-you-re-to-blame-for-15-killed-1.6489773
(9) Ibid.
(10) Ibid.
(11) https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-apparent-about-turn-russian-embassy-tears-into-israel-for-downing-of-plane