US drone damaged by flares from Russian fighter jet over Syria

A U.S. drone was damaged by flares from a Russian fighter jet over Syria on Sunday in the latest of a series of confrontations by Russian aircraft in the region.

The Russian jet flew “dangerously close” to the U.S. MQ-9 drone, harassing it and deploying flares from just a few meters overhead, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said in a statement on Tuesday.

One of the Russian flares struck the American drone and severely damaged its propeller, Grynkewich said. However, the drone was able to maintain flight and return to its home base.

“The Russian fighter’s blatant disregard for flight safety detracts from our mission to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS,” he added. “We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behavior.”

This was the fifth time in the last month that Russian fighter jets have harassed U.S. drones flying over Syria. 

Three Russian jets launched parachute flares at an American drone in early July, forcing the aircraft to conduct “evasive maneuvers.” The incident was quickly followed by two others in the the next two days.

Grynkewich said last week that another incident had occurred over the weekend, with a Russian fighter jet once again flying dangerously close to a U.S. surveillance aircraft.

A Russian jet previously intercepted a U.S. drone over the Black Sea in March, forcing it down and sparking backlash from officials in Washington who decried the move as “unprofessional” and “unsafe.”