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US coalition's drones fly too close to Russian plane in Syria — top brass

During the day, one shelling attack on positions of government forces from terrorists was reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

MOSCOW, June 21. /TASS/. Three US-led coalition’s MQ-9 Reaper drones dangerously approached a Russian fighter jet in Syria’s Homs governorate, Yury Popov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria (a division of the Russian defense ministry), said on Friday.

"From 12:33 a.m. to 12:46 a.m. on June 24, three coalition’s MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance combat unmanned aerial vehicles dangerously approached a Russian Su-35 plane making a planned flight over Syria at an altitude of from 7,000 to 8,000 meters," he said, adding that the Russian pilot demonstrated high professionalism and took timely measures to prevent a collision.

According to Popov, two pair of the coalition’s F-15 and a pair of Typhoon fighter jets, as well as three pairs of A-10 Thunderbolt attack bombers violated Syria’s airspace in the al-Tanf area, across which international air routes run, twelve times during the day

He also said that during the day, one shelling attack on positions of government forces from terrorists was reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone. One Syria was wounded as a result of sniper fire near the settlement of Mellaja in the Idlib governorate.