Russian planes harassed US hunter-killer drones on Wednesday carrying out a mission against ISIS targets in Syria, a US commanding officer said.
At around 10:40 a.m. local time, three US MQ-9 Reaper drones were conducting a mission against Islamic State targets in Syria when three Russian warplanes began harassing them, the ITS lieutenant general said. Alexus Grynkewich Air Force, commander of the 9th. Air Force and Combined Forces Air Component for US Central Command.
“Russian military aircraft behaved in an unsafe and unprofessional manner when interacting with US aircraft in Syria,” Grynkewich said. “Contrary to established rules and protocols, Russian planes dropped multiple parachute flares in front of the drones, forcing our plane into evasive manoeuvres.”
According to Grynkewich, a Russian pilot positioned an aircraft in front of one of the drones “and ignited the afterburner, reducing the operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft. These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by the Russian air forces operating in Syria, threatening the security of US and Russian forces.”
Grynkewich said he urged Russian forces to “cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so that we can resume our focus on the lasting defeat of ISIS.”
Target-seeking MQ-9 Reaper drones can carry Hellfire missiles and precision-guided bombs.
Russia has used its air power to support the Assad regime during Syria’s long-running civil war, with deadly airstrikes on rebel-held territory.
In March, Grynkewich told NBC News that armed Russian planes flew over US positions in Syria almost every day.
Russia and Syria are conducting joint air defense exercises, according to Russian media. The exercises began on Wednesday and are expected to last six days.
