When does a provocation become a fight? And when does a fight turn into a war? It is these two questions that currently preoccupy the US Central Command. In recent weeks, there have been repeated encounters between US and Russian fighter jets over Syria. And they can become dangerous at some point.
Both countries are militarily active in the air there. The American broadcaster CNN quotes a spokesman for the US Central Command as saying that in recent weeks Russian pilots have repeatedly tried to provoke the Americans in the air. This is a pattern of new, more aggressive behavior.
According to US Colonel Joe Buccino, the Russians were not interested in shooting the Americans directly. It’s just about involving the United States in “an international incident,” according to CNN. The broadcaster also reports a video from April 2 in which a Russian SU-35 fighter jet intercepts a US fighter jet with “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior.
Another video, this time from April 18, is said to show a Russian plane leaving designated airspace and approaching a U.S. plane to within just over 600 meters — a distance fighter jets can cover in seconds.
It is a dangerous proximity that the Russian soldiers seek in the skies. And what is noted with great concern in America. Especially since the incidents are part of a series of incidents. Since the beginning of March, 85 violations of agreed protocols by Russian jets have been recorded in the US. It concerns certain, agreed areas that both parties are actually not allowed to leave. However, the Russians apparently do not always adhere to it.
“It seems to be consistent with a new way of working,” the official said, according to CNN. American pilots refused to take part in the dogfights. They adhered to the protocols that had been agreed upon, the official added.
In March, a Russian fighter jet collided with a US drone over the Black Sea, CNN reports. The impact damaged the drone’s propellers, causing it to fall into the water. At the time, the US described the incident as “unsafe, unprofessional” and “reckless” on the part of Russia.
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I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
