MOSCOW: Russia’s Defense Ministry warned it could retaliate against Israel on Tuesday after one of its surveillance aircraft with 15 people on board was brought down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile over the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers found the wreckage about 17 miles off the Syrian coast and recovered the remains of the 15 Russian service members, international media reported.Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a telephone call with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, stating that Israel is solely to blame for the downing of Russia’s Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. "The responsibility for the downing of the Russian aircraft and the death of its crew lies solely with Israel. The Russian Defense Ministry used various communication channels on numerous occasions to urge Israel to refrain from conducting airstrikes in Syria, which threaten the security of Russian military personnel," Shoigu said.
