Russia has rejected the findings of an Israeli inquiry into the accidental downing of a Russian plane by Syrian artillery on Monday and has demanded that a new Israeli investigation be launched into the incident, pro-Syrian Lebanese TV station Al-Mayadeen reported Friday.
Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin arrived in Moscow on Thursday to brief Russian officials on the incident, in which a Russian Ilyushin 20 reconnaissance aircraft was accidentally shot down by Syrian fire some 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast of Latakia as it was returning to a nearby Russian base, resulting in the deaths of the 15-man crew.
The incident took place on the heels of an Israeli missile strike on Iranian assets in Latakia, with Syrian air defenses mistaking the Russian plane for an Israeli one. This prompted Russia to blame Israel indirectly for the incident, accusing Israel of creating dangerous conditions by failing to give it sufficient advance notice. While Israel has admitted that it bombed the area shortly beforehand to prevent the shipment of sensitive weapon systems to the Hezbollah terrorist group, it has insisted that its jets were nowhere near the area when the Russian aircraft was downed.
During Norkin's one-day visit to Russia, he briefed his Russian counterpart and other top officials on the findings from the Israeli inquiry.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the meetings were held in a "good atmosphere" and the two sides engaged in "professional and frank dialogue on various matters, emphasizing the interests of both countries and the continued use of the deconfliction mechanism."
But according to Al-Mayadeen, the visit failed to defuse the crisis and Russia rejected the Israeli conclusion that Syrian forces were to blame for the incident.
The report claimed that the IDF concluded that the Russians did have sufficient advance notice but failed to divert the plane from harm's way after it had completed a surveillance mission on a French naval vessel. The fact that President Vladimir Putin did not meet with Norkin underscored Russia's displeasure with the Israeli inquiry, the Lebanese station said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Thursday elaborating on a telephone conversation he had with Putin on Tuesday.
"I told him that the root of the problem is Iran's attempt to use Syrian territory for attacks against Israel and to arm our enemies, such as Hezbollah. I told him that we have the right of self-defense. There is also very great importance to maintaining the security coordination between Israel and Russia," Netanyahu said.
Speaking with Army Radio Thursday, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stressed that Israel would not halt its strikes on Iranian assets in Syria.
"We will do whatever is necessary to safeguard the security of Israel's citizens ... and we will not hold these discussions over the airwaves," he said.
But when pressed during the interview, Lieberman avoided asserting Israeli "freedom of action" over Syria, a term he has used in the past.
The Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv issued more criticism of Israel on Thursday.
"Moscow views as irresponsible and unfriendly actions of Israeli Air Force, which exposed Russian Il-20 aircraft to danger and led to the deaths of 15 servicemen," it tweeted, and added that Russia would "take all necessary measures to eliminate the threat to life and security of our military fighting against terrorism."
Israel has struck Syria dozens of times during the seven-year Syrian civil war to prevent the transfer of sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah and other Iranian allies. Russia has largely overlooked the sorties, which the Israelis say pose no direct threat to Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Israeli officials told Arabic daily A-Sharq al-Awsat on Thursday that Iran was under the false impression that Israel would not strike its assets near Latakia because of the massive Russian presence nearby.
Meanwhile, according to media reports in Cyprus, Russia has placed restrictions on the airspace and waters around the island. According to those reports, Russia informed the authorities in Cyprus that it would carry out significant military operations in the area in the coming days, presumably in response to the incident.
