Russian pilots in Syria continue pattern of harassment

Russian warplanes are continuing to harass US and allied aircraft over Syria as they take part in the ongoing international mission against the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria".

On Thursday (July 6), for a second day in a row, Russian warplanes harassed US unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Syria, while also flew dangerously close to French Rafale fighter jets.

"While three US MQ-9 [Reaper] drones were conducting a mission against ISIS targets, three Russian fighter jets began harassing the drones," Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said in a statement on July 5.

"Against established norms and protocols, the Russian jets dropped multiple parachute flares in front of the drones, forcing our aircraft to conduct evasive manoeuvres," he said.

"Additionally, one Russian pilot positioned their aircraft in front of an MQ-9 and engaged afterburner, thereby reducing the operator's ability to safely operate the aircraft," he said.

"These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both US and Russian forces," Grynkewich said.

He called on Moscow to "cease this reckless behaviour and adhere to the standards of behaviour expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS".

Russian warplanes also fired thermal grenades on the vicinity of al-Bab and Bazaa in eastern Aleppo province during Russian manoeuvres in the region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday.

This caused an outbreak of fire in the area, the Observatory said.

The incidents came as the Russian and Syrian air forces on Wednesday began joint "air defence exercises" in Syria, Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria head Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov told Russian news agencies.

The six-day drill "is planned to work out the issues of joint actions of aviation, air defence and electronic warfare forces in repulsion of air strikes", Gurinov said.

'Increasingly unsafe behaviour'

US Air Force F-22 Raptors deployed to the Middle East in June in the wake of "increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behaviour by Russian aircraft in the region", the US military said last month.

The stealth fighter-bombers are integrating with international coalition forces.

"Russian Forces' unsafe and unprofessional behaviour is not what we expect from a professional air force," US Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla said.

"Their regular violation of agreed-upon airspace deconfliction measures increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation," he added. "Alongside our partners and allies, we are committed to improving the security and stability in the region."

In March, Kurilla said the United States had seen an uptick in aggressive and unprofessional behaviour from Russian pilots in Syrian airspace.

"They fly over our bases with ground attack aircraft with weapons on them in an attempt to try to be provocative," Kurilla said.

A video released by CENTCOM from April 2 shows a Russian Su-35 fighter jet conducting an "unsafe and unprofessional" intercept of a US F-16 fighter jet in coalition-controlled airspace over Syria.

A second video from April 18 shows a Russian fighter that violated coalition airspace over Syria and came within 2,000 feet (610 metres) of a US aircraft.

This follows a March 14 incident where Russian jets collided with a US drone over the Black Sea.

On February 12 and 13, "three US Navy P-8A aircraft experienced unprofessional intercepts by Russian aircraft" in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea, the Pentagon said in a statement.

"While no one was hurt, interactions such as these could result in miscalculations and mistakes that lead to more dangerous outcomes," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Mike Kafka said at the time.

The United States contacted Russian officials through diplomatic channels to express concerns, he said.