The fresh claims, according to Russia’s envoy to Washington, are “devoid of common sense.”
Russian fighter jets were allegedly flying “dangerously close” to American Reaper drones during an operation in Syria, according to the US military, which has accused them of acting in a “unsafe” manner for the second day in a row.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) air service division, Air Forces Central, released video of the purported collision on Thursday, claiming that Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of numerous MQ-9 drones and “flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved.”
Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of Air Forces Central, described the incident as “another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria.” The brief video clip depicts what looks to be a Russian fighter plane dropping flares near the unmanned drone before turning off.
The incident occurred less than a day after Russian pilots in Syria were accused by Air Forces Central of “harassing” US drones during another mission on Wednesday.
Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, the deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, said that American UAVs had regularly violated deconfliction regulations in Syria, highlighting nine infractions between Wednesday and Thursday alone. Moscow has refuted both assertions. The targeting systems of MQ-9 drones, which are now participating in significant maneuvers with the Syrian military, can immediately activate the onboard defenses of Russian aircraft, he noted.
Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, addressed the most recent accusations by defending the “highly professional actions of the Russian military.” In addition to claiming that the Pentagon violates flight safety regulations in Syrian airspace “on a daily basis,” he also noted that US forces are illegitimately occupying the nation.
Keep in mind that the US Armed Forces, in contrast to ours, are stationed in the [Syrian Arab Republic] in violation of international law, he said. They essentially occupy certain areas while disguising their actions behind the need to combat terrorism.
At a briefing on Thursday, a Pentagon spokesman, Patrick Ryder, was asked if the drones could have entered a prohibited region. Ryder responded that it would be “ridiculous” to claim “that somehow this is our fault,” maintaining that Moscow was to blame.
According to Grynkewich, there have been dozens of run-ins this year, the most recent incident follows numerous similar ones in the skies over Syria in recent months. In response, CENTCOM declared in June that it would send more F-22 Raptors to the area, citing “increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft.”
