What happened
A four-engine aircraft departed from Hmeimim Air Base, situated southeast of Latakia, at 20:31 local time. The aircraft was conducting a mission focused on maritime patrol and reconnaissance over the Mediterranean Sea. Approximately ninety minutes after departure, while the aircraft was in the process of returning to its home base, it was struck by an S-200 surface-to-air missile launched by Syrian ground forces.
At the time of the incident, four Israeli F-16 fighters were conducting ground attacks on various infrastructures in the Latakia region. Following the missile impact, the aircraft lost control and descended into the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 35 km west of Latakia. Russian authorities later verified the destruction of the aircraft and confirmed that all 15 crew members were killed in the crash.
Findings
Investigations confirmed that the aircraft was inadvertently shot down by Syrian Army forces during an active combat period involving regional air operations.