Antonov: US attacks on the actions of Russian military personnel in Syria are "devoid of common sense"
The Pentagon's statements about the alleged obstruction by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation of US efforts to combat terrorism in Syria are "devoid of common sense." This was announced on July 6 by Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov.
"We believe that regular and sometimes out-of-bounds attacks regarding highly professional actions of Russian servicemen in the SAR are devoid of common sense. They distract attention from the fact that the Americans themselves violate flight safety rules in the Syrian sky on a daily basis," the press service of the Russian Embassy in the United States reports the diplomat's words in the Telegram channel.
Antonov also urged not to forget that American servicemen, unlike Russian ones, are in the Syrian Arab Republic "contrary to the norms of international law." According to him, this is the occupation of certain areas of the country, which the US authorities cover up with "the need to carry out counter-terrorism tasks."
Washington's policy in Syria undoubtedly carries a powerful destructive charge, and "not only hinders the stabilization of the situation and the restoration of the territorial integrity of the SAR, but also negatively affects the situation in the entire Middle East," the Russian ambassador concluded.
Earlier in the day, the US Department of Defense announced the fixation of actions allegedly committed by Russian Su-35 fighters against American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) MQ-9 Reaper. So, the agency claimed that on July 5, Russian pilots dropped several parachute missiles in front of American drones, as a result of which the American device "was forced to perform evasive maneuvers."
Another Russian pilot on a Su-35 fighter jet, according to the Pentagon, "turned on the afterburner while in front of one of the MQ-9s, which reduced the ability of the American operator to safely control the drone."
Earlier, on July 6, the deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, said that the US-led "international anti-terrorist coalition" in Syria had violated deconfliction protocols nine times over the past day in an area closed to flights in connection with exercises of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) Russia and the SAR Air Force.
In addition, on this day, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the joint exercises of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force in Syria, during which issues of control of the airspace of the Arab Republic are being worked out. It is specified that the exercises will last until mid-July.
Earlier, on July 4, Russia expressed concern about systematic violations of deconfliction protocols related to drone flights of the American "coalition" in Syria.
On July 1, Gurinov pointed out that aviation and UAVs of the "international anti-terrorist coalition" violated flight safety in the SAR 315 times in June.
