[Regnum] The unmanned lethal MQ-9 Reaper of the so-called international coalition led by the United States flew dangerously close to the Su-35 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syrian airspace, the deputy head of the Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides (CROS) in Syria, Captain First Rank Oleg Ignasyuk, told journalists on July 12.
It happened in the skies over the province of Homs. The Russian fighter was carrying out a scheduled flight.
“In the area of the settlement of Es-Sukhna in the province of Homs, a dangerous approach occurred between an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle of the “coalition” and a Su-35 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which was carrying out a scheduled flight in the airspace of Syria,” Ignasyuk said during a briefing.
According to the deputy head of the Center for the Prevention of Cruelty to the Air and Space Industry, the pilot of the Russian combat aircraft demonstrated high professionalism and promptly took all necessary measures to prevent a collision with the UAV.
Ignasyuk also reported that in the Et-Tanf area, observers identified 12 violations over the past 24 hours, committed by a pair of F-15 fighters, a pair of Rafale fighters, two pairs of Typhoon fighters and two pairs of A-10 attack aircraft of the Western "coalition". The Center for the Prevention and Control of Violence emphasized that such actions continue to create risks of aviation accidents.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, incidents involving approaching "coalition" drones have already occurred in Syria. On June 21, it became known that in the province of Homs, a pilot of a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35 fighter was able to prevent a collision with three MQ-9 Reapers. On June 26, a "coalition" MQ-9 Reaper drone flew dangerously close to a Russian Su-34 fighter, which was making a scheduled flight.
On July 4, the Center for Strategic and Inter-Aircraft Monitoring reported that in the skies over Homs province, a Typhoon fighter jet from the coalition and an An-30 aircraft from the Russian Armed Forces almost collided due to a dangerous approach.
