Russian fighter jets badgered U.S. surveillance aircraft in Syria for the second time in two days, U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) said Thursday evening, condemning Russia for its “unprofessional” behavior also targeting French military operations.
The second “unsafe” encounter occurred at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, 9th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said in a statement, with footage showing Russian jets deploying flares in front of the American MQ-9 Reaper drones and flying “dangerously close.” French fighter jets on a patrol mission near the Iraqi-Syria border also dealt with an aggressive Russian Su-35 and were forced to maneuver to avoid an accident, the French military said in a tweet that drew further condemnation from AFCENT.
“Once again today Russian fighter aircraft flew incredibly unsafe and unprofessionally against both French and U.S. aircraft over Syria. We fully support our French allies right to conduct security missions in the region,” AFCENT wrote in a social media post.
“These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both Coalition and Russian forces,” Grynkewich said. “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.”
On Wednesday, Russian jets systemically harassed three U.S. MQ-9 surveillance drones in Syria in what was then characterized as one of the most provocative moves so far by Russian air forces against U.S. military assets.
The incidents represented “a new level of unprofessional and unsafe action by Russian air forces operating in Syria,” AFCENT said in a statement.
At around 10:40 a.m., three Russian pilots released parachute flares to interfere with the Reapers’ flight paths, declassified footage shows. One of the Su-35 jets maneuvered in front of one of the Reapers and fired the afterburner, boosting its speed and air pressure and making it difficult for the drone’s remote operator to safely handle the unmanned craft, according to the accompanying statement.
Both Wednesday and Thursday’s incidents occurred as U.S. surveillance assets were conducting missions related to the ongoing counter-Islamic State operation in Syria.
Russian officials blamed targeting signals emitted from the American drones for triggering automatic alarms in the Russian jets, according to state-run media outlet TASS.
“Of particular concern are reports received from pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who registered cases U.S. UAVs using their electronic fire guidance systems on Russian warplanes, automatically triggering their on-board defensive aide suites,” Russian Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov said on Thursday, according to TASS.
The U.S. drones violated longstanding U.S.-Russia policies meant to prevent one another’s’ forces in Syria from accidentally coming into hostile contact and risking escalation, Gurinov said, according to TASS.
Joint Russia-Syria military drills were set to begin Thursday in the area, the outlet reported.
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