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Tensions between the US and Russia are said to have flared up again during an air raid on Wednesday. Russia “harassed” a US drone.
Damascus – The United States accuses Russia of having come dangerously close to several US drones in Syria, forcing them to take evasive action. The US Air Forces Central released a video of the events on Wednesday (July 5) and called on Russia to stop “unprofessional and unsafe behavior”. In March, a US drone crashed over the Black Sea after colliding with a Russian fighter jet. This had led to new tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Russian fighter jets ‘harass’ US drones during operations in Syria
According to the Air Force, a total of three MQ-9 drones were deployed in Syria against ISIS targets on Wednesday. In the video posted on the website of Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), a Russian SU-35 fighter jet can also be seen approaching one of the US drones. The aircraft turned on its afterburner, which drastically reduced the operator’s ability to safely operate the drone, according to General Alex Grynkewich, commander of the Ninth Air Force in the Middle East.
A section of the published video is said to show the dropped parachute rockets. © Facebook @US Air Forces Central
In addition, the Russian fighter jets dropped several parachute rockets in front of the drones, which ultimately forced the US drones to take evasive action. According to Grynkewich, the action of the Russian fighter jets violates generally accepted protocols and would not only endanger the US armed forces, but also the Russian ones.
After “endangerment” of US drones: US calls for a stop to Russia’s provocations
“We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and to adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so that we can return our focus to permanently defeating ISIS,” the US commander said further.
Russia has not commented on the incident. However, Russian media had previously reported that joint Russian-Syrian air force exercises would be held in Syria. The newspaper interfax.ru quoted the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, Oleg Gurinov. He expressed concern about “systematic violations of the ‘deconfliction protocols’ in connection with drone flights by the so-called ‘International Anti-Terrorist Coalition’ in the airspace over the northern regions of Syria”. (nz)
2023-07-06 22:59:27
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