Russia warns US jets in Syria are potential targets
Military hotline between Moscow and Washington also closed down after US-backed jet shoots down Syrian plane
Tensions between Moscow and Washington increased yesterday when Russia warned the US-led coalition fighting in Syria that its aircraft are now "targets" after a jet shot down a Syrian government plane.
It also said it was withdrawing from a communication system designed to prevent accidental encounters with US aircraft.
The military hotline, set up two years, ago had been "a crucial link that has allowed Moscow and Washington to notify each other about their air operations in Syria", reports the New York Times. Until now, says the BBC's Jonathan Marcus, "the co-ordination mechanism has generally worked well and its operation is as much in Moscow's as Washington's interest".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The NY Times says suspending the hotline is "the most recent example of an intensifying clash of words and interests between the two powers, which support different sides in the six-year civil war in Syria".
The coalition confirmed that on Sunday, it shot down a Syrian bomber which attacked US-backed fighters attempting to oust Islamic State. The Syrian government, which counts Russia as its most important ally, condemned the "flagrant attack" and said it would have "dangerous repercussions".
"Any aircraft, including planes and drones... will be tracked by Russian anti-aircraft forces in the sky and on the ground and treated as targets," the Russian defence ministry wrote in a Facebook post.
In addition to the "usual rhetoric" – the charge that the US is violating Syrian sovereignty and breaking international law – Russia's response is "a practical step", says the BBC, promising to treat coalition drones and aircraft as potential targets.
"As the battle for eastern Syria steps up, Russia and its Syrian government ally seem intent on drawing a line in the sky."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published