SPEECHES, INTERVIEWS, ARTICLES

11.10.2015

Answer by Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to Russian media question regarding Syria

- Can you comment on the British media reports that UK Government has given the green light to RAF pilots participating in the operation against ISIS in Iraq airspace, to shoot down Russian combat planes?

- These media reports are worrying, as they refer to senior Cabinet members. We have urgently requested explanations from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Meanwhile, the very premise of a potential conflict of UK and Russian combat aircraft over Iraq is incomprehensible. It is known that Russian Air Force does not take part in strikes against ISIS targets in the said country. At the same time, RAF does not participate in the anti-ISIS coalition strikes in Syria. The question arises, what is the goal of such a provocative media leak? Whose morale are they meant to raise?

As for joint struggle against ISIS, we have not yet received a reply to our official request to the British side to provide information at its disposal regarding the ISIS infrastructure for possible use by the Russian Air Force group in Syria.

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