Russian President Putin and Jewish Leader Bibi Netanyahu are offering measured, concilliatory words after Israeli planes conducting air strikes in Syria used a Russian Il-20 observation plane as radar cover leading to its destruction by Syrian air defenses (archived). Soon after the plane went down Russia was swift to condemn Israel for their role in the destruction of the planeand loss of the crew.

Israel has been intervening in this Syrian civil war through airstrikes and other means with the apparent goal of escalating and prolonging the conflict.