A US commander said on Wednesday that Russian fighter jets had attacked US drones that were on a mission in Syrian airspace against militants.
“While three American MQ-9s were carrying out a mission against ISIS targets, three Russian fighter jets began harassing the drones,” US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkiewicz said in a statement.
Russian fighters dropped distress flares in front of the American drones, forcing the latter to avoid them, and a Russian pilot used his afterburner in front of one of the MQ-9s, “reducing the operator’s ability to fly the aircraft in a safe manner,” the lieutenant general continued.
“These events constitute a new model of unprofessional and dangerous actions by the Russian Air Force operating in Syria, which threaten the security of the American and Russian forces,” Alexus Grynkewich said, calling on Moscow to “put an end to this irresponsible behavior.” .
Russian fighters had already in March interacted with the Reaper MQ-9 in the Black Sea, as the American drone crashed into the sea after its maneuvers. The incident caused new tensions between Washington and Moscow.
