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Russia Says Bomb Downed Plane in Egypt and Intensifies Attacks on ISIS Russia Says Its Jet Was Bombed Over Egypt and Intensifies Syria Airstrikes
(about 4 hours later)
MOSCOW — Russia said for the first time on Tuesday that a bomb aboard a Russian charter jet full of vacationers caused the aircraft’s destruction more than two weeks ago over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and the Kremlin responded immediately by escalating airstrikes across Syria. MOSCOW — Russia said for the first time on Tuesday that a bomb aboard a Russian charter jet full of vacationers had destroyed the aircraft that crashed more than two weeks ago on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and the Kremlin responded immediately by escalating airstrikes across Syria.
The Russians said they were coordinating their military campaign with France in sharply ratcheting up attacks on Syrian territory, especially areas held by the Islamic State, the militant group that has asserted responsibility for destroying the Russian jetliner and for the spree of deadly attacks across Paris on Friday. The Russians said they were coordinating their military campaign with France in sharply ratcheting up attacks on Syrian territory, especially areas held by the Islamic State, the militant group that has asserted responsibility for destroying the Russian jetliner and for the deadly attacks across Paris on Friday.
Russia said it had deployed cruise missiles, long-range bombers flying from Russia and other warplanes, releasing the details through a military briefing for President Vladimir V. Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that was televised live nationwide. Russia said it had deployed cruise missiles, long-range bombers flying from Russia and other warplanes, releasing the details through a military briefing for President Vladimir V. Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu televised live nationwide.
“A massive airstrike is targeting ISIL sites in Syrian territory,” Mr. Shoigu said, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State. “The number of sorties has been doubled, which makes it possible to deliver powerful pinpoint strikes upon ISIL fighters all throughout the Syrian territory.”“A massive airstrike is targeting ISIL sites in Syrian territory,” Mr. Shoigu said, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State. “The number of sorties has been doubled, which makes it possible to deliver powerful pinpoint strikes upon ISIL fighters all throughout the Syrian territory.”
Mr. Putin and the defense chief were shown sitting in a gigantic, three-story military command center — officially called the National Defense Management Center — with a map of Syria the size of a movie screen on one wall. Russia acknowledged that a bomb downed the Metrojet Airbus A321, killing all 224 people aboard, after 17 days of hedging, even though it was increasingly clear that Russian investigators had reached that conclusion.
In a scene that could have been lifted out of a Bond film, scores of military men, many wearing headsets, were lined up in desks on the main floor and overhead balconies, all facing the screen. The timing of such a highly orchestrated announcement, after an outraged France had already started striking Islamic State targets and had called for a united front against the group, suggested that the Kremlin was using the moment to help rebuild frayed relations with the West.
The Russian acknowledgment that a bomb downed the Metrojet Airbus A321, killing all 224 people aboard, came after 17 days of hedging by Moscow, even though it was increasingly clear that Russian investigators had reached that conclusion. Mr. Putin and his defense chief were shown sitting in a three-story military command center with a map of Syria the size of a movie screen on one wall. In a scene that could have been lifted from a James Bond film, scores of military men, many wearing headsets, were lined up in desks on the main floor and overhead balconies, all facing the screen.
The timing of such a highly orchestrated announcement, coming as an outraged France had already started striking Islamic State targets and had called for a united front against the group, suggested that the Kremlin was using the moment to help rebuild frayed relations with the West. Egyptian officials have repeatedly asserted that it was premature to conclude that a bomb had destroyed the Russian jetliner, with some saying such an explanation was part of an international conspiracy against their country. But Egypt’s position has become harder to maintain in recent days as the Russian government, one of its closest allies, gave increasing indications that it believed a bomb was the most likely cause. The Russians moved to sever almost all air links with Egypt.
Egyptian officials, by sharp contrast, have repeatedly asserted that it was premature to conclude that a bomb had destroyed the Russian jetliner, with some saying that such an explanation was part of an international conspiracy against their country. The plane crashed minutes after departing Sharm el Sheikh, a Red Sea resort now reeling from a loss of tourism. Russia’s confirmation that the plane was felled by a bomb — presumably smuggled through the Sharm el Sheikh airport — could further weaken Egypt’s vital tourism industry, and undermines government claims of progress in vanquishing militants based in Sinai.
The plane had just departed Sharm el Sheikh, a Red Sea resort that now is reeling from a loss of tourism. Confirmation that it was brought down by a bomb — presumably smuggled through the Sharm el Sheikh airport — would represent a devastating blow to Egypt’s vital tourism industry, and would undermine government claims that the authorities are prevailing in the war against militants based in the Sinai Peninsula. On Tuesday, after hours of silence following the Russian announcement, Egyptian officials seemed to be gingerly walking back their denials. Egypt’s civil aviation minister said the committee investigating the crash had “not arrived at any criminal evidence,” but a statement from the Interior Ministry pointedly included the possibility of a “terrorist attack,” while announcing enhanced security measures at airports.
But Egypt’s position has become harder to maintain in recent days as the Russian government, one of its closest allies, gave increasing indications that it believed a bomb was the most likely cause. The Russians moved to sever almost all air links with Egypt. “This is the first time that the Egyptian authorities admit the possibility that whatever happened to the Russian plane was a terrorist attack,” said Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, a political science professor at Cairo University and the American University in Cairo. While the change was “not easy” for the Egyptian government, he said, it appeared to reflect an attempt to avoid any rift with the Russians.
On Tuesday, after hours of silence following the Russian announcement, Egyptian officials seemed to be gingerly walking back their previous denials. Alexander V. Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service, said in remarks to Russia’s Security Council on Monday night and broadcast nationally on Tuesday morning that “we can say definitely that this was a terrorist act.”
Egypt’s civil aviation minister said that the committee investigating the crash had not yet reached any conclusions and had “not arrived at any criminal evidence,” but a statement from the Interior Ministry pointedly included the possibility of a “terrorist attack,” while announcing enhanced security measures at airports. An “improvised explosive device” detonated soon after the plane took off, he said, adding that “the plane disintegrated in midair, which explains the widely scattered fuselage pieces.”
“This is the first time that the Egyptian authorities admit the possibility that whatever happened to the Russian plane was a terrorist attack,” said Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, a political science professor at Cairo University and the American University in Cairo. The change was “not easy” for the Egyptian government, especially as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had all but declared victory over militants in Sinai, Dr. Sayyid said. The Russians did not acknowledge that the Islamic State had planted the bomb. But the Russian attacks that followed on parts of Syria held by the Islamic State, presented in the live television briefing, left no doubt that the Russians were intent on showing they blamed the group.
At the same time, the Egyptians were trying to avoid any rift with the Russians, given their increasingly close security and economic cooperation, he said. And the Paris attacks, coupled with France’s admissions of security gaps, may have helped create the basis for Egypt to admit the possibility of its own failings. Russia fired 34 cruise missiles from the eastern Mediterranean, hitting more than a dozen targets in Aleppo and Idlib, said Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the Russian military’s chief of staff.
Alexander V. Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., said in remarks to Russia’s Security Council Monday night and broadcast nationally on Tuesday morning that “we can say definitely that this was a terrorist act.” Military aircraft, including long-range bombers flying from Russia, flew 127 sorties, hitting 266 targets and destroying 140, the defense minister said. The Russian Air Force deployed in Syria has flown almost 2,300 combat missions since the attacks started 48 days ago, General Gerasimov said.
An “improvised explosive device” detonated soon after the plane had departed Sharm el Sheikh, he said, adding that “the plane disintegrated in midair, which explains the widely scattered fuselage pieces.” As Russia increased strikes on the Islamic State, however, Russian forces continued to hit insurgents elsewhere in Syria who do not belong to that group and who have even fought against it and received American support — underscoring the complexities international powers face in working together in the Syria conflict.
The Russians did not acknowledge that the Islamic State had planted the bomb. But the Russian attacks that followed on parts of Syria held by the Islamic State, presented in such detail at a live television briefing, left no doubt that the Russians were now intent on showing that they blamed the group. The Russians did not specify the locations of their strikes. But insurgents and residents in Syria reported Russian aerial assaults where the Islamic State has no presence, in the towns of Saraqeb, in Idlib Province, and Atareb, in western Aleppo Province.
Russia fired 34 cruise missiles from the eastern Mediterranean, hitting more than a dozen targets in Aleppo and Idlib, said Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the Russian military’s chief of staff. Earlier news reports said the Kalibr cruise missiles were fired by submarines for the first time by Russia in a real war. Mr. Putin was shown on television ordering one naval commander to coordinate actions with a French aircraft carrier group and to “work together as allies.”
Military aircraft, including long-range bombers flying from Russia itself, had flown 127 sorties, hitting 266 targets and destroying 140 of them, the defense minister said. The Russian air force deployed in Syria has flown almost 2,300 combat missions since the attacks started 48 days ago, Gen. Gerasimov said. The Kremlin also announced that Mr. Putin and his French counterpart, François Hollande, had spoken by telephone, had agreed to coordinate military attacks in Syria and will meet in Moscow on Nov. 26.
Mr. Putin did not speak much during the briefing, but he ordered one naval commander to coordinate his actions with a French aircraft carrier group that was about to deploy off Syria. France’s defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking later Tuesday on the TF1 channel nightly news, said 10 French fighter jets had conducted airstrikes against the Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa. It was the third time since the attacks in Paris that France targeted Islamic State installations there.
Mr. Putin and the French president, François Hollande, had spoken by telephone earlier in the day and agreed to coordinate their military attacks in Syria, the Kremlin announced. The two men are due to meet in Moscow on Nov. 26, it said. Since its intervention in Syria, Russia has focused mostly on opponents of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and not the Islamic State. The diplomatic rewards of changing focus and answering the call of Mr. Hollande for a united military effort against the Islamic State are already palpable.
For a second consecutive day, French warplanes hit a command post and a recruitment center for jihadists in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, Syria, the French Ministry of Defense announced on its website, while Russian news reports said a Russian submarine had fired cruise missiles at Islamic State targets in the same area. A pariah in Western leadership circles since his invasion of Crimea last year and his support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Putin was suddenly front and center at the Group of 20 summit meeting this week in Antalya, Turkey. For Mr. Putin, ending the diplomatic isolation could be an important first step in persuading the West to lift sanctions on his wobbly economy imposed because of the Ukraine dispute.
Since its intervention in Syria, Russia has focused most of its firepower on opponents of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and not the Islamic State. The diplomatic rewards of changing focus and answering the call of Mr. Hollande for a united military effort against the Islamic State are already palpable. Mr. Bortnikov, the head of the head of the Federal Security Service, said crash investigators estimated that the Metrojet bomb had been composed of up to 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of TNT. He added that “foreign made” explosive material had been found in the wreckage.
A pariah in Western leadership circles since his invasion of Crimea in the spring and his subsequent support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Putin was suddenly front and center at the Group of 20 summit meeting this week in Antalya, Turkey. For Mr. Putin, ending the diplomatic isolation could be an important first step in persuading the West to lift economic sanctions on his wobbly economy that were imposed after those earlier actions. Russia also offered $50 million for any information leading to the capture of the bomb plotters.
British and American intelligence agencies had reached the same conclusion as Russia about the cause of the jetliner’s destruction within days of the Oct. 31 crash. The Islamic State claimed responsibility within hours, although it did not provide any proof. “We will search for them everywhere, no matter where they are hiding,” Mr. Putin said at a meeting with his security council broadcast on national television. “We will find them in any place on the planet and will punish them.”
Russian crash investigators concluded the bomb contained up to 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of TNT, Mr. Bortnikov said, adding that “foreign made” explosive material was found on parts of the plane and other objects that were examined.
Russia also offered $50 million for any information leading to the capture of those who carried out the attack, and Mr. Putin vowed to track them down.
“We will search for them everywhere, no matter where they are hiding,” Mr. Putin said at a meeting with his security council that was broadcast on national television. “We will find them in any place on the planet and will punish them.”