Russia: A coalition drone came dangerously close to a Russian fighter over Syria
Posted on: July 29, 2023: 12:01 PM GST Last updated: July 29, 2023: 12:35 PM GST
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called on Russia on Saturday to abide by the laws that protect countries’ airspace and to “stop irresponsible behavior,” when asked about Russian planes’ contact with US drones in Syria.
The US military said an MQ-9 drone was “severely” damaged when it was hit by a live projectile from a Russian fighter jet while it was flying over Syria last week, in the latest close-range confrontation between Russian and US military aircraft in the region.
Asked about the incident at a news conference in Brisbane, Australia, Austin said: “We call on the Russian leadership to make sure that they direct their forces to abide by the laws of heaven and make sure that this irresponsible behavior stops.”
“We will continue to engage through established channels to express our concerns and continue to engage senior leadership as appropriate. But again, we will continue to act as we have always done in the airspace, protecting our interests and our resources,” Austin added.
The Russian news agency Tass had quoted Admiral Oleg Gorynov, deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, as saying that a drone belonging to the US-led coalition in Syria approached alarmingly a Russian military aircraft, “Su-34” on Friday morning.
Gorenov explained that the accident involving the MQ9 drone took place over Raqqa Governorate.
He added, “The two Russian pilots, who showed high professionalism, immediately took the necessary measures to prevent a collision with a coalition drone.”
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2023-07-30 12:44:08
