:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/grupoclarin/PJQ3VEK46BHQDGFXWR4K3JRXII.jpg "US publishes video of incident between Russian fighters and drones in Syria")
WASHINGTON (AP) — Russian warplanes flew dangerously close to several US drones over Syria on Wednesday, dropping flares and forcing MQ-9 Reapers into evasive maneuvers, the US Air Force said.
The Air Force distributed video of the encounter showing a Russian SU-35 fighter approaching a Reaper, and later several so-called parachute flares moving into the drone’s flight path. The flares are attached to a parachute.
Three of the US drones were operating over Syria after 10:30 a.m. local time, as part of a mission against the extremist group Islamic States about which no further details were given, when three of the Russian aircraft “began to harass drones,” explained Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of the 9th Air Force in the Middle East.
In a statement, Grynkewich said one of the Russian pilots put his plane in front of one of the drones and activated the SU-35’s afterburner, which increases its speed and air pressure. That jet can cause damage to the Reaper’s electronics and, according to Grynkewich, reduced his pilot’s ability to operate the device safely.
“Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior while interacting with US aircraft in Syria,” he said, adding that such actions threatened the security of US and Russian forces. “We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and to adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so that we can focus on the lasting defeat of ISIS.”
The United States has about 900 troops in Syria to work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against radical militia insurgents in the country. No further details were given about the drone operation and it was not clear where the incident occurred.