Russian Jet Enters Israeli Airspace, Not Shot Down

A Russian jet that entered about a mile into Israeli airspace by mistake was not shot down due to an open communication system between the two nations unlike what happened in Turkey last week.

“The plane entered about a mile into Israeli airspace by “mistake” and immediately turned around back to Syria when the Russians were notified,” Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon was quoted as saying by Dawn Sunday.

Speaking to Israel Radio, Yaalon said that after Russia announced its air campaign in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin along with his military chief of staff. Israel later opened a channel for coordination with Russia ‘to prevent misunderstandings’, Yaalon added.

The timing of the violation by Russian jet into Israeli airspace was not disclosed by the minister. He said, it was immediately corrected in the communications channel.

“Russian planes don’t intend to attack us and therefore there is no need to automatically, even if there is some kind of mistake, shoot them down,” he said.

“Just as we don’t interfere with their operations and we don’t get involved, as a policy, in what is happening in Syria, they also don’t interfere with us flying and acting in accordance with our interests,” he said.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the airstrikes, but has said it will not allow sophisticated, or “game changing”, weaponry to reach anti-Israel militant groups.

Syria and Israel are bitter enemies. Israel has avoided taking sides in the Syrian conflict that pits President Bashar Assad’s government against various militant forces, including the militant Islamic State group (IS).

Turkey shot down a Su-24 last week using an air-to-air missile after the aircraft was accused of violating its airspace.