MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS/. Russian continues to maintain contact with Israel concerning the downing of the Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters on Friday.

"Regular contacts are taking place," he said in response to a TASS question. "We are all interested in justifying our claims," Bogdanov stressed.

Il-20 crash

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on September 17, a Russian Il-20 aircraft flying over the Mediterranean Sea back to the Russian Hmeimim air base in Syria disappeared from radar during an airstrike four Israeli F-16 fighter jets carried out on targets in the Syrian province of Latakia.

On September 18, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Il-20 aircraft had been accidently downed by Syrian air defenses as the Israeli F-16 jets had been using it as cover.

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing on September 23 that the Israeli Air Force and those who made the decision to use the Il-20 aircraft as cover were solely to blame for its crash, which claimed the lives of 15 Russian military servicemen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Putin and he had agreed that the two countries’ militaries would soon hold a meeting to discuss coordination in Syria.