Date: Sep 24, 2018 Source: The Daily Star Russia blames Israel for Syria plane downing MOSCOW/BEIRUT: The Russian Defense Ministry Sunday blamed “misleading” information from the Israeli air force for the downing of one of its planes in Syria last week, and denounced the “adventurism” of Israeli pilots. Syrian government forces mistook the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane for an Israeli jet and shot it down last Monday, killing all 15 people aboard. While the Russian military initially blamed the plane’s loss on Israel, President Vladimir Putin later attributed it to “a chain of tragic, fatal circumstances.” The Russian Defense Ministry Sunday presented its latest findings on the Il-20’s downing, laying the blame squarely on Israel. “We believe that the Israeli air force and those who were making decisions about these actions are fully to blame for the tragedy that happened to the Russian Il-20 plane,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special “deconfliction line” to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Russia has provided key air support to President Bashar Assad’s forces since 2015, while Israel has carried out dozens of strikes against Iran-linked forces. Israeli military officials have previously praised the hotline’s effectiveness. But Konashenkov Sunday accused Israel of using the hotline to mislead Russia about its plans. He said the Russians were unable to get the Il-20 to a safe place because an Israeli duty officer had misled them, telling them of an Israeli operation in northern Syria while the jets were actually in Latakia, in the country’s west. Konashenkov said an Israeli fighter jet flying over Syria’s Mediterranean coast shortly before the downing deliberately used the Russian plane as a shield, reflecting “either lack of professionalism or criminal negligence.” The Israeli pilots’ actions “either speak of their unprofessionalism or criminal negligence at the very least,” Konashenkov said, reiterating the Israeli air force was fully responsible for the downing of the plane. The “adventurism” of the Israeli military could have endangered civilian planes that use the same airspace to land at the nearby Hmeimim aerodrome, the officer said. Konashenkov also complained that the Israelis over the years have waited until the last minute to notify Russia of their operations, endangering Russian aircraft. He described Israel’s actions as “a highly ungrateful response to everything that Russia has done for the state of Israel recently.” He referred to efforts by Russia to rein in Iran-backed forces in Syria, including a deal struck in July to keep such fighters 85 kilometers from the Israel-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli military in a statement later Sunday insisted that the Israelis complied with the hotline procedures and rejected Konashenkov’s suggestions that Israeli jets were ultimately to blame for the downing. The Israeli air force “did not hide behind any aircraft,” the statement said. “The result of the downing of the Russian plane by Syrian fire is severe and tragic and we convey our condolences to the bereaved families and the Russian people.