Russian aircraft harassed American drones participating in operations against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria for the second time in 24 hours, said a US commander on Thursday.
Russian jets flew near a few US drone airplanes over Syria, setting off flares and constraining the MQ-9 Harvesters to make equivocal moves, the Air Force said, according to news agency AP.
"We urge Russian forces in Syria 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," Lt.Gen.Alex Grynkewich, head of US Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement.
Col.Michael Andrews, a Forces Central Command spokesman, said, "The Russian harassment, including close fly-bys, by one SU-34 and one SU-35 and deploying flares directly into the MQ-9, lasted almost an hour. So it wasn't a quick fly-by, but much more of a sustained and unprofessional interaction."
The US Air Force Central released videos of the two incidents that occurred Wednesday and Thursday.
In the first incident, Russian SU-35 fighters surrounded a Reaper, and one of the Russian pilots moved their airplane in front of a drone and engaged the SU-35's afterburner, which enormously speeds up air pressure.
The jet blast from the afterburner can potentially damage the Reaper's electronics, and Grynkewich said it decreased the drone operator's capacity to work the airplane securely.
Afterward, some of the purported parachute flares moved into the robot's flight path. The bursts are joined by parachutes.
In the subsequent occurrence over Northwest Syria around 9:30 a.m. local time Thursday, "Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved," Grynkewich said.
The drones were not furnished with weapons and are usually utilized for surveillance missions.
Armed force Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of US Headquarters, said in a proclamation that Russia's infringement of continuous endeavors to clear the airspace over Syria "increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation".
Also Read | 4 killed, 8 injured in latest Russian missile strike on Ukraine's Lviv
