Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the downing of a Russian military plane by Syrian air defences was the result of a "tragic chain of circumstances", in an apparent effort to calm tensions after his country’s defence ministry accused Israel of "hostile" actions.
The Russian military said the Il-20 electronic intelligence plane was hit 35km off Syria's Mediterranean coast late on Monday night as it returned to its base nearby. All 15 Russian crew members were killed.
The downing of the jet highlighted the dangers posed by the conflicting interests of various powers in the crowded skies over war-torn Syria and threatened to damage relations between Russia and Israel.
Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands reports from Moscow.
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