Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov thanked American people for their condolences expressed in regard to 15 victims of Russia’s military aircraft Il-20, downed over the Mediterranean Sea earlier in the week, TASS reports.
"We would like to thank all Americans who shared with us the grief of the loss of IL-20 with Russian officers in Syria on September 17," Antonov was quoted as saying on the Russian Embassy’s accounton Facebook social network.
"They gave their lives, protecting the world from terrorism," Antonov added.