File image.
On April 19, the United States Air Forces Central (AFCENT) released two declassified videos showing fully-armed Su-35 fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces flying over coalition bases in Syria.
“Armed Russian fighter aircraft” have directly flown over the U.S.-led coalition bases in Syria at least 26 times between March 1 to April 19 of this year, according to accompanying data released by AFCENT.
The command added that there had been 63 “violations” since March of deconfliction protocols between U.S. and Russian forces that were put into place just in 2019.
“Over the course of my career I have not seen this kind of disregard for agreed upon protocols and deconfliction rules,” AFECNT commander Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said in a statement. “It’s concerning because it increases the risk of miscalculation, and given incidents like the MQ-9 intercept and subsequent downing over the Black Sea, it’s not the kind of behavior I’d expect out of a professional Air Force.”
According to AFCENT, one of the most recent Russian sorties happened on April 15 over a key garrison in the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf.
“We’ve seen Russian aircraft come within 500 feet of our aircraft,” said Lt. Gen. Grynkewich. “As a professional air force, we will do everything in our power to ensure we maintain safety of flight and engage according to our special instructions. However, if any entity threatens the safety and security of coalition forces in the sky or on the ground, we will take swift action to address the threat.”
Tensions between U.S. and Russian forces in Syria have been growing since Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine last year.
The Russian military has been present in the country since 2015 to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad against ISIS and other terrorist groups.
Threats posed to the Russian military group in Syria increased. A recently leaked U.S. intelligence document revealed a plot by Ukrainian intelligence to attack Russian bases in the western and central region of the country with help from a U.S. proxy group, the Kurdish-led Syrian democratic Forces.
The repeated Russian armed patrols over the U.S.-led coalition bases in Syria appear to be more of a defensive measure.
The Russian military is likely willing to take even more drastic measures to protect its troops in the war-torn country. Last November, a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system fired on a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper combat drone that approached a key government-held airport in the northeastern region.
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