U.S. Central Command said three U.S. MQ-9 drones were conducting a mission involving Islamic State targets on Wednesday when at about 10:40 a.m. they came under harassment from three Russian jets, which dropped multiple parachute flares in front of them.
One of Russian pilots also positioned their jet in front of a drone and engaged its afterburner, reducing the ability of the operator to maneuver the U.S. aircraft, it said.
A 1-minute video of the incident was published to Twitter by U.S. Air Force Central identifying the Russian jets as SU-35s.
Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of the Ninth Air Force and Combined Forces Air Component for CENTCOM, described the behavior of the Russian pilots in a statement as "unsafe and unprofessional."
"These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both U.S. and Russian forces," Grynkewich said.
"We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS."
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia over Moscow's war in Ukraine and follows several instances of near conflict erupting between the countries in the skies over Syria.
In March, Russian jets flew near daily over a U.S. military base in Syria, Grynkewich told NBC News.
The increase in incidents prompted U.S. Central Command less than a month ago to deploy F-22 Raptor fighter jets to the Middle East.
"Russian forces continue to display unsafe and unprofessional behavior in the air," Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement Wednesday.
"Their regular violation of agreed upon airspace deconfliction measures increases the risks of escalation or miscalculation."
Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is present in the country and provides the regime with political and military support.
Roughly 900 U.S. troops operate in Syria in support of the counter IS Operation Inherent Resolve mission.
According to a Congressional Research Service report from November, as both the Untied States and Russia operate in close proximity in Syria, they maintain a so-called deconfliction channel to avoid inadvertent conflict.
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