ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States Air Force on Wednesday said that Russian jets harassed three American drones over Syria amid an anti-Islamic State (ISIS) operation, labeling the provocation as “unprofessional” and “unsafe” by Moscow.
“While three U.S. MQ-9 drones were conducting a mission against ISIS targets, three Russian fighter jets began harassing the drones. Against established norms and protocols, the Russian jets deployed multiple parachute flares in front of the drones, forcing our aircraft to conduct evasive maneuvers,” US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said in a statement.
Grynkewich added that a Russian pilot intercepted one of the drones and engaged afterburner, which impeded the drone operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft.
“These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both U.S. and Russian forces,” he said, urging Moscow to “cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force” in order to ensure an effective battle for the lasting defeat of ISIS.
About a thousand US troops stationed in Syria are part of an international coalition that has fought alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against ISIS.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been instrumental towards his campaign of retaking swathes of territory from rebels following the onset of the bloody Syrian civil war which has been raging for over a decade.
In March, the US military said a Russian fighter jet caused an American drone to crash over the Black Sea after clipping its propeller. Moscow denied responsibility.
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