Russian warplanes intercept US drones during anti-ISIS mission in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US Air Forces Central publicized on Wednesday a video showed Russian war jets close in on US MQ-9 aircraft that were taking part in a mission against Islamic State (ISIS) over Syria.
Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of the US 9th Air Force in the Middle East, said three Russian jets dropped flares attached to parachutes in front of three US drones, which forced the drones to take an “evasive action.”
One Russian pilot positioned their aircraft in front of an MQ-9 and engaged afterburner, dynamically increasing speed and air pressure, resulting in reducing the MQ-9 operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft, according to the US Air Forces Central.
The US Air Forces stressed that such behavior represents “a new level of unprofessional and unsafe action by Russian air forces operating in Syria…which threaten the safety of both U.S. and Russian forces.”
Grynkewich said in a statement, “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.”
The past three US administrations have maintained a small contingent of US troops in Syria — about 900 at any given time, augmented by hundreds more contractors — who work with the Syrian democratic Forces (SDF) to prevent a resurgence by ISIS militants in the country.
On July 4, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria, revealed that Syria and Russia would launch six-day joint air defense exercises on July 5 to “work out the issues of joint actions of aviation, air defense and electronic warfare forces in repulsion of air strikes.”
In June, the US deployed its F-22 Raptors, the best fifth-generation fighter in the world, to the Middle East responding to “unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft in the region.”
Over the last several years, the US and Russia have used a deconfliction line between the two militaries in Syria to avoid unintentional mistakes or encounters that can inadvertently lead to escalation.