A Russian fighter jet flew “dangerously close” to a U.S. drone in the skies over Syria on Sunday, deploying flares that “severely” damaged the American aircraft, according to the U.S. Air Force. The MQ-9 Reaper drone was involved in a “defeat-ISIS mission” when the Russian aircraft began “deploying flares from a position directly overhead, with only a few meters of separation between aircraft,” according to a U.S. Air Forces Central statement.
“One of the Russian flares struck the U.S. MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller,” the statement added. The drone’s operators were able to safely return the MQ-9 to its home base. “The Russian fighter’s blatant disregard for flight safety detracts from our mission to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS,” Air Forces Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewic said. “We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behavior.”
The end is near.