A Russian fighter flies “dangerously close” and shoots flares at a US drone in Syria

July 25 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States Air Force has reported this Tuesday that one of its drones in Syria has been damaged after a Russian fighter plane flew “dangerously close” and dropped several flares on it last Sunday.

According to the US authorities, several Russian fighters approached an MQ-9 Reaper model unmanned aerial vehicle that was participating in a mission against the Islamic State in Syria two days ago.

At that moment, one of the Russian fighters started throwing flares at the drone, severely damaging its propeller. The crew in charge of handling the drone managed to control the aircraft and drive it back to its base of operations, according to .

“The Russian fighter’s blatant disregard for flight safety detracts from our mission to ensure the lasting defeat of Islamic State,” Air Force Central Command Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said.

Russia and the United States have starred in the occasional episode of these characteristics in recent months, the most notorious occurring in March, when a Russian fighter damaged an American MQ-9 Reaper drone and forced it to sink in the waters of the Black Sea.