The White House reported on Wednesday that a US drone was struck down by Russian fighter jets in Syrian airspace. This is the sixth such incident this month and the second in 24 hours. The US Government has expressed anger over the Russian jets for targeting their drones and interfering in their anti-ISIS workings over Syria.
Attacks on American Drone and Aircraft
Two anonymous US Officials have confirmed the damage to an MQ9 Reaper drone. The drone sustained damage to its wings but managed to return to its base. On Tuesday Russians fired flares on a drone, destroying its propellers. Russian jets have been coming extremely close to American manned and unmanned aircraft which pose a high risk for the crew and planes.
In an earlier incident, a Russian plane came dangerously close to a manned US aircraft, risking the lives of four American crew members. US Officials have stated that these drones are not armed with any kind of weapon and are commonly used for routine missions.Â
Russia’s POV
A senior Russian leader, on the other hand, blamed Washington for the latest incident and charged the US with violating ten Russian Protocols in the last 24 hours. According to the head of the Russian military’s Reconciliation Center in Syria, Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov said that the American aircraft were extremely close to two Russian warplanes. A Russian Su-34 spotted itself targeted thus triggering its flares which attacked US aircraft in defence.
US Forces in Syria
Around 900 US military forces have been stationed in Syria to work with Syrian Democratic Forces, led by Kurds which have been tackling ISIS militants. Washington and Moscow routinely converse over a deconfliction phone line to avoid unanticipated clashes in Syrian airspace. These conversations often occur many times a day and sometimes result in arguments between the two sides.
Rising Tensions Between the Two Superpowers
Experts believe that Russia has been intentionally conducting activities of harassment over the US to support Iran’s goal of driving it out of Syria. They have been trying to build pressure on the US which will lead them out of Syria. In view of a senior US defence expert, Iran is aiming to transport lethal aid to Lebanese Hazbolla which is planning to threaten Israel. Russia is heeding the interests of Iran because Tehran is the biggest supporter of Moscow’s war operations in Ukraine.Â
The US Official said that they have noticed more intelligence sharing, planning and cooperation between Russian and Iranian Quds Leaders. The increased level of interference and intercepts is a matter of concern for the US and raises questions on how to counter and respond should the risk of confrontation increase.
John Hardie who is the director of the Russia program for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said that Russia does not seem to want a confrontation, it just likes messing with the drones. He suggested that one solution could be relocating its patrols to avoid direct conflict. This is a measure previously employed by America after a Black Sea incident near Crimea.
The Syrian Democratic Force is in a civil war with the Syrian Government under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad. The Kremlin supports the Syrian Government, and the SDF is backed by the US. Though ISIS was territorially defeated in 2019 in Syria, some of it remains active and routinely stages attacks on SDF. Washington has stated its commitment to remain in Syria to ensure the defeat of ISIS. Â
