US releases video of Russian fighter jets harrassing American drones over Syria

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Air Force says Russian fighter jets flew dangerously close to several U.S. drone aircraft over Syria, setting off flares and forcing the MQ-9 Reapers to take evasive maneuvers. U.S. Air Forces Central has released a video of Wednesday’s encounter. It shows a Russian SU-35 fighter closing in on a Reaper and later a number of the so-called parachute flares moving into the drone’s flight path. The flares are attached to parachutes. The head of U.S. Central Command says Russia’s violation of ongoing efforts to clear the airspace over Syria “increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation.” The drones weren’t armed with weapons and are commonly used for reconnaissance missions.