Russian warplane damages US drone over Syria

A Russian warplane damaged a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in the sky over Syria on July 23.

“On 23 July 2023 at 12:23 a.m. [EST] Russian fighter aircraft flew dangerously close to a US MQ-9 drone on a defeat-ISIS mission, harassing the MQ-9 and deploying flares from a position directly overhead, with only a few metres of separation between the aircraft,” Caliber.Az reports, citing the US Air Forces Central (AFCENT).

AFCENT noted that “one of the Russian flares struck the US MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller. Fortunately, the MQ-9 crew was able to maintain flight and safely recover the aircraft to its home base.”

“The Russian fighter’s blatant disregard for flight safety detracts from our mission to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behaviour,” the report adds.