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What Russia said after its jet was downed
Summary
A look back at the Syrian reports of 3 February 2018, as they stood on the eve of 6 February 2018.
What was known about the downing of a Russian jet in Syria by 6 February 2018? The reports available in the days before that date came largely through Russian news agencies, and they pointed to a rapid exchange of claims and retaliation.
According to Sputnik, as reported on 3 February 2018, Tahrir al-Sham, allegedly including the Al-Nusra Front, claimed in a social media post that it had shot down the Russian jet. The group said it used a shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile.
The same day, the Interfax agency stated that Russia had responded with a missile attack in north-west Syria. It said at least 30 Al-Nusra militants were killed by what it described as precision-guided weapons.
These accounts came from the agencies and the parties involved, and were attributed to them at the time. They set out a claim of responsibility and a claimed Russian reprisal within the same day, in a war that continued to draw in outside powers.
