MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax) - The Russian military in Syria has reported attempts of terrorist and sabotage groups to cross the contact line in the Aleppo and Latakia provinces from the Idlib de-escalation area.
"The commands of the Russian contingent and the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic are taking the necessary measures to prevent a terrorist threat to the civilian population and servicemen of government forces," deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Aircraft of the U.S.-led international antiterrorist coalition continue to create dangerous situations in the Syrian airspace by flights in violation of deconfliction protocols and trespassing on the Syrian airspace, he said.
"Ten violations of deconfliction protocols dated December 9, 2019, by the flights of coalition unmanned aerial vehicles uncoordinated with the Russian side have been observed over the past day," Kulit said.
"Al-Tanf area saw 16 violations by three pairs of F-16 fighter jets, one pair of F-35 planes, one pair of Typhoon fighter jets, one pair of Rafale fighter jets, three MQ-1C multirole unmanned aerial vehicles and one MC-12W reconnaissance plane of the coalition in the past 24 hours," he said.
A coalition MQ-9 dangerously approached a Sukhoi Su-34 of the Russian Aerospace Forces by less than 100 meters in height near Ayn Issa in the Raqqah province at 7:03 a.m. on August 8, Kulit said.
"The flight of the coalition unmanned aerial vehicle in that area was not deconflicted again. The Russian pilots demonstrated high professionalism by timely taking the necessary measures to prevent a collision with the coalition drone," he said.