Russia on Tuesday accused the US and Coalition forces of committing multiple aircraft violations in Syria’s airspace over the past day.
Moscow’s state news agency TASS cited Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, as saying that the US and Coalition aircraft carried out 10 violations in the Syrian airspace.
“In the area of al-Tanf, 10 violations by four pairs of F-16 fighter jets and two MQ-1C multi-purpose drones of the ‘coalition’ were registered over the past day,” Kulit was quoted as saying.
He blamed the activities of the US and Coalition for creating dangerous precedents in aviation incidents by aggravating the situation in the Syrian airspace.
In June, US military official told Al Arabiya English that Russia’s military forces in Syria have stopped adhering to “agreed-upon” deconfliction air protocols with American and Coalition troops.
“While our pilots continue to adhere to these agreed-upon protocols, the Russian military recently departed from the standards expected of a professional Air Force, choosing instead to deliberately violate these agreements,” a US Air Forces Central (AFCENT) spokesperson told Al Arabiya English at the time.
“Their [Russia’s] aircraft operate in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, executing aggressive maneuvers and committing non-deconflicted incursions into our operating areas with increasing frequency,” the official added.
The US and coalition personnel are in Syria as part of a years-long mission to defeat ISIS. To avoid any incidents or misunderstandings, these forces and the Russia military in the country have had open lines of communication, especially in the air.