Pentagon claims Russian jets ‘harass’ US drones again

Pentagon bosses say Russian jets fired flares towards drones (Image: US Air Force) Pentagon officials say Russian jets have been spotted “harassing” United States drones for the second day in a row. US officials said a jet had been interfering with a drone on Wednesday, July 6. But they say it happened again on Thursday, with jets dropping parachute-borne flares into drone flight paths. The US military has once again labelled the action as “unsafe and unprofessional”, calling again for Russia to stop the risky behaviour over eastern Syria. The Pentagon has now released images of the incident captured from an MQ-9 Reaper drone, reports ABC News . US officials say Russian jets fired out flares in front of drones (Image: US Air Force) The incident is said to have happened over eastern Syria. The United States Air Force has around 900 troops in the region. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder comdenmed Russia ‘s action. He said: “You’ve heard us say before that our focus in Syria is purely on the defeat ISIS mission and that will continue to be our focus. “Like [U.S. Air Forces Central], we call on the Russian forces to cease this type of reckless behavior and behave like professional airmen.” During the interaction, the Russian pilots dropped multiple parachute flares in front of the drones, forcing the U.S. aircraft to conduct evasive maneuvers. A previous incident involving a fighter jet (Image: US Air Force) One Russian pilot also engaged their aircraft’s afterburner while positioned in front one of the MQ-9s, reducing the U.S. operator’s ability to safely operate the drone. Then, during an incident on Thursday, the Russian SU-34 and SU-35 aircraft reportedly released flares in the flight path of the MQ-9 and flew “dangerously close” to the aircraft. US officials say this “endangered” everyone involved. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the commander of U.S. Air Forces Central, said: “These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both coalition and Russian forces. “The U.S. Air Forces Central remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of its personnel and assets and continues to work closely with partners and allies to address these incidents and prevent any escalation of tensions in the region. “The safety of military personnel and the success of the mission against ISIS depend on the professional and responsible conduct of all forces operating in the region.”