MOSCOW—Russia blamed Israel on Tuesday for the loss of a reconnaissance plane downed accidentally by Syrian forces during a raid by Israeli fighter jets, raising tensions between two nations that have painstakingly avoided direct conflict in Syria until now.
Russia said Israel gave it too little warning of a strike over Syrian airspace that aimed to destroy Iranian targets. As a result, Russia’s aircraft was downed by Syria’s semi-automated air defence systems in the crossfire.
The accident shows the speed with which events can spiral out of control in the crowded skies above Syria and creates a fresh geopolitical crisis for President Vladimir Putin to navigate. Russia’s plane was shot down just hours after Moscow struck an agreement with Turkey to create a demilitarized zone in northwest Syria in an effort to prevent clashes between those two countries, which are now on opposite sides of the conflict.
Mr. Putin, speaking during a live televised news conference Tuesday, struck a conciliatory tone, saying he believed Israel was responsible but attributed the loss of the plane to “a string of tragic coincidences.”
Russia would have to determine what had happened and take more security measures to protect its servicemen in Syria, Mr. Putin said. Since Russia’s intervention in the conflict in 2015, more Russian servicemen have died in accidents and air disasters than through enemy fire.
A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said the Soviet-designed Ilyushin-20 was brought down by Syria’s S-200 air defense systems as Damascus tried to defend against strikes by four Israeli F-16s.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman and warned that Moscow “reserved the right to take steps to respond,” the Defense Ministry said.
Israel confirmed the call with Gen. Shoigu, but said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was responsible. “Israel expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire,” the military said in a statement.
Israel and Russia had used the same deconfliction channel—a telephone hotline meant to ensure that military forces stay out of each other’s way—last night, Israel’s military said. The line has proved effective at avoiding accidents in the past.
The loss of the plane could potentially destabilize the situation around Syria. Israel has launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets in Syrian territory and has worked with Russia over the deconfliction line that was established in 2015. The two countries have generally supported opposing sides.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Israel had informed Moscow of the incoming strike less than a minute beforehand, making it impossible for Russian command to pull its planes out of potentially dangerous areas.
“As a result of the Israeli military’s irresponsible actions, 15 Russian servicemen died,” Mr. Konashenkov said.
President Putin and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have held regular meetings over Syria, as Israel has voiced concerns over the presence of Iranian troops and its proxy militias in Syria.
Israel said it targeted a Syrian Armed Forces facility in Latakia on Tuesday where systems to manufacture lethal weapons were about to be transferred to Hezbollah, a political and militia group in Lebanon, on Iran’s behalf. It said the weapons posed an “intolerable threat” to Israel.
Syrian government officials weren’t immediately available for comment.
According to an initial probe by Israel’s military, Syria tried to retaliate against the strike when the jets were already back in Israeli airspace. The investigation also said Syria’s anti-air batteries fired indiscriminately and its military appeared not to check whether Russian planes were in the air.
The accident highlights the difficulties posed in a civil war where some key players try to dominate the land and the air with outdated Soviet-era weaponry.
Russian arms analysts said that the Syrian system’s rudimentary automation makes it unable to disengage from a target once it is locked.
Israel said Russia’s plane wasn’t flying nearby Israeli jets during its operation, and that it was “extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft fire” that took down the Russian plane.
Israel’s confirmation of its overnight strike marked a rare public acknowledgment of its activities in Syria. But officials have recently disclosed Israel has conducted some 200 strikes in Syria since 2017.
‘As a result of the Israeli military’s irresponsible actions, 15 Russian servicemen died.’
Analysts said Russia has unofficially given the green light to Israel for limited strikes against Iranian targets in Syria as Syrian government troops push further southwest, closer to the border with Israel.
Yaakov Amidror, former head of Israel’s national security council, said Israel has a strong interest in maintaining the deconfliction line and will want to work with Russia to improve it, he said.
“It is not our mistake, we are more than sorry for the sad results, but the clear mistake was done by the Syrians not by us,” Mr. Amidror said.
Zvi Magen, a former Israeli ambassador to Russia now at the Institute for National Security Studies, said Russia may be looking to use Israel as a scapegoat for disagreements over its involvement in Syria but the sides are unlikely to enter full-scale conflict.
“Russia is not in a position to be in a conflict with Israel on any level, in any space,” he said.
Yoav Kisch, a member of the foreign affairs and defense committee in Israel’s parliament, said Israel must oppose Russia’s efforts to blame it for the incident.
“The only official responsible is he who pressed the button to launch the missile that downed the plane,” he said on Twitter.
—Nazih Osseiran in Beirut contributed to this article.
Write to Thomas Grove at thomas.grove@wsj.com and Felicia Schwartz at Felicia.Schwartz@wsj.com
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