Putin calls downing of Russian reconnaissance plane off Syrian coast a 'chain of tragic circumstances'
At the press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban , Russian President Vladimir Putin called the downing of the IL-20 aircraft of the Russian Air Force in Syria "a chain of tragic circumstances"
Putin asked not to compare the incident with the destruction Russian Su-24 fighter in 2015 by the Turkish military.
"When people die, especially in such tragic circumstances, it is always a disaster, a disaster for us all, for the country and for our close comrades who are dead. In this connection, of course, I offer my condolences to the relatives of the deceased, "Putin said at a final press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Also, Putin promised to strengthen the security of the Russian military in Syria, so that "it is noticeable by everyone".
"Regarding our response, we will direct our effort towards protection of our servicemen, our facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic. The steps will be such that everyone will notice, " the Russian president said.
Earlier, Russian Ministry of Defense accused Israel for "irresponsible actions" which caused the air disaster. According to the Ministry, it was given less than a minute's warning ahead of the strikes which Israel conducted on the Syrian targets in Latakia. The Ministry stated that it didn't have enough time to get the military surveillance plane out of the way.
"The Israeli planes deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in the area," a Russian Ministry of defense spokesman said.
"As a result of the irresponsible actions by the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen have died."
According to preliminary reports, the Russian military reconnaissance aircraft Il-20 was shot down over the Mediterranean by Syria's air defense systems. There were 15 military men on board. All of them were killed.
Israel put all responsibility for the incident on the regime of Bashar Assad.