The crash of the Russian Il-20 aircraft in the district of the Syrian city of Latakia was caused by the fact that the Russian military lost control of the airspace and the Syrian air defense system in the area of its Khmeimim airbase, writes Russian journalist and military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer in his blog for the newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

He reminded that the air defense system of the Assad's Syrian Arab Armed Forces, which the Soviet Union helped to build, was almost fully destroyed due …

The Israeli military handed over data to Russia regarding the Il-20 aircraft that was shot down, as well as about Iran’s activities in Syria, as stated by the Israel Defense Force on Thursday, September.

 It is noted that a report was compiled on the situation concerning the Syrian air defense system that shot down a Russian aircraft on the night of September 17th.

In addition, the Israel Defense Force reported on Iran’s ongoing attempts to establish its own military presence in Syria and …

Russia’s Foreign Minister spokesperson Maria explained the detentions and searches of ships in the Sea of Azov, which headed to Ukrainian ports, as “ensuring security” and as its “sovereign right for inland waters."

"Russia's actions to inspect ships are aimed only at ensuring security in the waters of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait. They do not contradict any international laws that apply to the inland water areas. Other states' practices of exercising sovereign rights in respect to inland …