The U.S. military is calling out Russia for “reckless behavior” after Russian fighter jets came dangerously close to three American MQ-9 Reaper drones over Syria.
The U.S. Air Force released a video they say shows Russian jets harassing the drones as they were on a mission against the terror group ISIS.
The Russians dropped flares in the path of the drones and forced them to maneuver for safety. The flares are attached to parachutes.
Another jet kicked in its afterburners, making it difficult to safely operate the unmanned aircraft.
Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of the 9th Air Force in the Middle East, said three of the U.S. drones were operating over northwest Syria after 10:30 a.m. local time, on a mission against the Islamic State terrorist group when three of the Russian aircraft “began harassing the drones.” The drones were not armed with weapons and are commonly used for reconnaissance missions.
In a statement, Grynkewich said one of the Russian pilots moved their SU-35 aircraft in front of a drone and engaged its afterburner, which greatly increases its speed and air pressure. The jet blast from the afterburner can potentially damage the Reaper’s electronics, and Grynkewich said it reduced the drone operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft.
“Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior while interacting with U.S. aircraft in Syria,” he said, adding that the actions threaten the safety of the U.S. and Russian forces. “We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement that Russia’s violation of ongoing efforts to clear the airspace over Syria “increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation.”
About 900 U.S. forces are deployed to Syria to work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces battling the Islamic State militants there. No other details about the drone operation were provided.
The Air Force claims dozens of similar incidents have been perpetrated by the Russians in recent months, and is calling on the Russian military to desist.
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As CBN News reported in March, a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said at the time.
Russia insisted its warplanes didn’t hit the MQ-9 Reaper drone. Instead, it said the drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets that had been scrambled to intercept it near Crimea.
The incident, which added to Russia-U.S. tensions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, appeared to be the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after an encounter with a Russian warplane.
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