US Air Force Central Command has posted a video of a new incident involving US drones in the skies over Syria being harassed by Russian attack aircraft. As can be seen from the footage, there was another “warm” meeting of Russian pilots with US Air Force drones, accompanied by dangerous manoeuvres. Russian warplanes have aggressively flown in front of US spy drones over Syria, the second day in a row that Russian pilots have harassed MQ-9 Reaper drones carrying out surveillance missions over ISIS militants, according to the US military. In Thursday’s incident, Russian fighter jets fired rockets in front of the drones and “flew dangerously close” to the Reapers, Air Force Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of the 9th Air Force, said in a statement. “Russian SU-34 and SU-35 military aircraft used missiles in the trajectory of an American MQ-9 aircraft on July 6, 2023, over Syria. Russian forces have conducted increasingly unprofessional and unsafe actions while operating in Syria, threatening the safety of both American and Russian forces. This is the second case of dangerous behavior by Russian pilots towards American aircraft in the last 24 hours,” the US Air Force announced.

Aggressive tactics are becoming more common as tensions between Russia and the US remain high over Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. “Repeated violations by the Russian Air Force of agreed-upon standards and practises are now becoming a significant security concern in the region,” Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, tweeted late Thursday. Air Force officials tweeted: “Once again today, Russian fighter jets flew incredibly aggressively and unprofessionally against both French and American aircraft over Syria,” adding: “We fully support the right of our French allies to conduct security missions in the region “. Thursday’s incident followed a similar intercept over Syria on Wednesday, according to the Pentagon. Russia supports the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, which has become brutally involved in the civil war. General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said that three Russian warplanes dropped missiles with parachutes in front of the drones, and one Russian fighter jet activated its afterburner in front of a drone to harass it on Wednesday. Ryder called on the Russian military to stop its “reckless behaviour”. He rejected Russian claims that the drones were operating in a restricted area.

By Paul Bumman