Moscow says its fighter jet flew close to a US plane in Syria to identify it, not to intimidate anyone
A Russian fighter jet approached an American aircraft last Saturday over Syrian airspace in order to identify the airplane, not to intimidate it, according to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. The incident took place on October 10, when a squadron of Russian planes was carrying out a bombing mission in Syria under the cover of a Sukhoi Su-30 Russian fighter jet.
Konashenkov says the reconnaissance mission was not unusual, explaining that Russian jets routinely approach aircraft in Syrian airspace that turn out to be American planes and drones.
“One of our warning systems (standard equipment on all our aircraft) detected a signal from an unknown flying object. Our fighter jet returned to the area and flew by at a distance two-to-three kilometers [1.2-to-1.9 miles], not in order to scare anyone, but to identify the object and ascertain its origin,” Konashenkov said.
- On September 30, following a unanimous vote by the Federation Assembly to authorize the use of Russia's armed forces abroad, Moscow launched airstrikes against targets inside Syria. The Russian Air Force has carried out attacks every day since, reportedly informing the US-led coalition of its bombing runs.
- The United States and other nations have called on Russia to focus its airstrikes on ISIL position in Syria, rather than attack armed groups currently engaged in a war against the Syrian government.