BREAKING. Russian Electronic Warfare Aircraft Is Shotdown Over the Eastern Mediterranean...By Syria

Russian Air Force Ilyushin II-20 by Kirill Naumenko, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0/Original

This is the reason why you don’t want multiple parties, some of whom are barely out of the Stone Age, gouging around in the same military theater. This is also the kind of event that can turn ugly very, very fast.

The stories right now are developing.

A key data point is that two days ago, Israel carried out airstrikes on the airport in Damascus, Syria, to destroy a shipment of weapons imported from Iran.

https://twitter.com/abu_razwana/status/1041721094254690304

A few hours ago, Russian media reported that contact had been lost with an IL-20M Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft over the Eastern Mediterranean or possibly western Syria. The aircraft carried 14 Russian servicemen.

The Russians seem to want to blame Israel but are afraid to:

Russian Il-20 aircraft with 14 servicemen on board went off the radars during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets on Syria’s Latakia province.
Russian radars also registered the launch of missiles from a French frigate Auvergne in in the Mediterranean.

— Military Advisor (@miladvisor) September 17, 2018

They also want to blame France:

Russia detects missile launches from French frigate off Syria’s coast in Mediterranean – MoD https://t.co/k8Hsm9TQSV

— RT (@RT_com) September 17, 2018

BTW, at this writing, no reputable source is reporting French or Israeli airstrikes or missile strikes in Syria.

Assad’s propagandists are sh***ing themselves

The S-200 systems have been up graded with improved electronics Russian and Syrian unified their air defence systems. Russian jets appear as friendlies. #Israel sent a barrage of missiles into Latakia near the #Russia-n Base. https://t.co/CTkbd81JUZ

— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) September 18, 2018

#Syria and #Russia unified their air defence system, Russian jets appear as friendly and are impossible to shoot down. Meanwhile, #Israel sent a barrage of missiles into Latakia near the #Russia-n Base not caring that a Russian aircraft was in the way. https://t.co/CTkbd81JUZ

— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) September 18, 2018

#Russia believes it may have been #France that shot down one of it's aircrafts but acknowledges it could be #Israel as they were firing at the same time. https://t.co/1Yh42YinmB

— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) September 18, 2018

CONFIRMED: It was the 100s of #Israel-i missiles fired at #Syria's coast that shot down the #Russia-n Jet, Russia has a base near by. Not an accident! pic.twitter.com/K1ax6QEml3

— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) September 18, 2018

https://twitter.com/KonstantinKlug/status/1041848298498416640+-

Why, you might ask, would Assad’s apologists be searching for a fresh pair of brown trousers while the Russians don’t seem to know whether to crap or go blind?

https://twitter.com/MurtalaIbin/status/1041843576764817408

BREAKING (Not parody): US Military says they believe Syria accidentally shot down a Russian aircraft carrying 14 serviceman while attempting to target Israeli missiles tonight in Latakia. – CNN

— Israel Breaking (@IsraelBreaking) September 17, 2018

Missiles and confusion flying around the Eastern Mediterranean tonight. A Russian plane is missing, believed shot down. The US says Syria shot it down while firing missiles to shoot down Israeli missiles. Russia says the French are firing missiles. https://t.co/7s7tk1skmp

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 18, 2018

What next?

Putin either has to point the finger at Assad’s gun-shy goons or he has to blame France and/or Israel. If he does the latter, it is going to be hard for him not to retaliate. After losing some 400 of his mercenaries to US airstrikes and having the Turks shoot down an Su-24 in November 2015, Putin is beginning to resemble a paper tiger.