US Releases Video of Russian Planes Confronting Its Drones Over Syria
The US Air Force released a video Thursday showing Russian jets confronting three American drones over Syria. The incident took place on Wednesday, the Americans said.
The video shows Russian jets dropping parachute flares before the drones, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers. In one instance, a Russian jet positioned itself in front of a US drone and then used its afterburners.
A US general said the Russian planes had acted in an “unsafe and unprofessional manner,” threatening the safety of both US and Russian forces.
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The drones were reportedly on a mission against ISIS over Syria, where the US still has 900 soldiers assisting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
The US began assisting Syrian rebels in that country’s civil war in 2013 and began participating in combat operations in 2014. Russian forces entered the fray a year later. The US and Russian forces say they are operating in Syria against Islamist groups, but the two powers also have opposing agendas.
The US says Russian aircraft have participated in a string of provocative maneuvers over American forces in Syria this year. The US Air Force has reportedly sent F-22 Raptor aircraft to deter Russian planes from overflying American bases in violation of earlier agreements.
To date, there are no reports of Russia commenting on the incident.
