Baladi News - Journals
Russia expressed concern today over Defence Ministry allegations that a drone attack on its air base in Syria earlier this year had been coordinated from a US spy plane.
The country’s Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Alexander Fomin was speaking at a Beijing security conference when he said the base had been attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in attack formation.
"Thirteen drones moved according to common combat battle deployment, operated by a single crew. During all this time the American Poseidon-8 reconnaissance plane patrolled the Mediterranean Sea area for eight hours," he said.
Russian forces thwarted the attack and downed a number of the drones.
At the time “agents provocateurs” and jihadists were suspected of the attack, which was seen as an attempt to escalate tensions between Russia and Turkey over Syria’s Idlib province.
However the latest Russian military support indicates that the attack was directed by a US P-8 Poseidon surveillance plane.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: ” “This is undoubtedly a very alarming report” adding that a “political response” could not be ruled out.
It is understood that Russian President Vladimir Putin may raise the issue with his US counterpart Donald Trump and demand an explanation.
Source: Morning Star