Tense footage shows Russian fighter jets harassing US drones

Dramatic new footage has shown Russian fighter jets making dangerous maneuvers around US drone flight paths over Syria.

US Air Forces Central, which released the dramatic video Wednesday, excoriated Russia for harassing the three American MQ-9 Reaper drones, which were engaged in military operations targeting ISIS.

“These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both US and Russian forces,” said Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the commander of the 9th Air Force in the Middle East .

“We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS.”

During the encounter, which took place at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday, the Russian jets deployed parachute flares in front of the drones, forcing them into evasive maneuvers, according to Grynkewich.

At one point, a Russian jet cut in front of one of the drones and activated its afterburner, which reduced “the operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft,” the officer added.

It is not immediately clear what, if anything, may have provoked the Russian behavior or precisely where over Syria the incident took place.

Roughly 900 US personnel are deployed in Syria to help battle ISIS. Many of them are working with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their efforts to combat terrorism.

Pentagon officials have highlighted numerous recent incidents in which Russian jets have zipped over US bases without using a safety line intended to avert miscalculations.

Russia has its own military presence in Syria to back Damascus dictator Bashar al-Assad in the country’s decade-long civil war.