Russia says US-led coalition’s aircraft violated Syrian airspace 14 times in one day

Russia’s defense ministry said on Sunday the US-led coalition’s fighter jets and drones violated Syria’s airspace in the al-Tanf area 14 times during the past day.

“A total of 14 violations were registered in the Al Tanf area: by a pair of F-35 fighter jets, three pairs of F-16 fighter jets, a pair of Rafale fighter jets, a pair of Typhoon fighter jets and two MQ-1C multi-role unmanned aerial vehicles of the coalition,” said the deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria as cited by state news agency TASS.

The Russian official said a total of 10 violations of the December 9, 2019 deconfliction protocols by the US-led coalition were registered in the reported period. They were all related to flights of unmanned aerial vehicles that were not coordinated with the Russian side.

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Violations of deconfliction protocols between the US-led Coalition and Russia in the volatile airspace over Syria have been a recurring concern. Those protocols designed to maintain aviation safety and prevent unintentional clashes have been challenged by both sides.

There have been many incidents in which aircraft from either party have come dangerously close to the other or violated airspace controlled by the other side, increasing the risk of unintended confrontations. These incidents have underscored the need for strict adherence to established communication channels and airspace coordination to avoid potential escalations in a region already ravaged by conflict.

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