Russia says US warplanes did not intercept its fighter jets over Syria
Russia has dismissed reports that American fighter jets intercepted Russian military aircraft over Syria.
The US Defense Department claimed Thursday that the Russian fighter jets were flying over a banned area in Syria.
The alleged interception took place on Wednesday, when two US Air Force F-22 Raptors were scrambled to chase two Russian Sukhoi Su-25 Grach bombers out of a coalition-controlled area on the east side of the Euphrates River near the town of Bukamal.
Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon told Russia's state news agency Tass that the Raptors deployed chaff and flares to warn the Russian airmen while one of the US pilots had to "aggressively maneuver" to avoid a midair collision.
The Russian pilots eventually changed course to the western side of the river after about 40 minutes, Pahon said.
However, Russia's Defense Ministry later dismissed reports of the Russian jets being “intercepted,” saying the Russian fighters chased away the US warplanes.
The ministry also rejected reports that the Russian military aircraft were operating over the eastern bank, saying they were escorting a humanitarian aid convoy.
A Su-35 fighter jet, which provided cover for the Russian planes carrying humanitarian aid, “rapidly approached” the F-22 from the rear and the US warplane left the area afterward, the ministry added.
The ministry said the Western media reports were "just another wishful thinking by certain US and UK media."
The Pentagon announced in early November that American and Russian officials had verbally agreed that the US-led coalition controls the airspace over the river's east while Russian forces fly to its west.
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in early November to continue to support de-confliction efforts after meeting on the sidelines of the APEC conference in Vietnam.
This story was updated on December 15, 2017 to reflect the Russian Defense Ministry’s rejection of the Pentagon’s claim about the interception.
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