MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. US-led coalition’s F-35 fighter jet dangerously approached a Russian fighter jet making a scheduled flight along Syria’s southern border, Vadim Kulit, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria (a division of the Russian defense ministry), said on Sunday.
"From 11:55 a.m. to 12:03 a.m. on August 19, the coalition’s F-35 fighter jet dangerously approached a Russian Su-35 plane making a planned flight along Syria’s southern border at an altitude of about 9,000 meters in the al-Tanf area," he said.
According to Kulit, Russian pilots demonstrated high professionalism and took timely measures to prevent a collision. In his words, the coalition’s aircraft continue creating dangerous situations in the sky over Syria, violating deconfliction protocols.
"Three pairs of the coalition’s F-16, three pairs of F-35, and one pair of Rafale fighter jets, as well as two MQ-1C multi-role unmanned aerial vehicles violated Syria’s airspace in the al-Tanf area 16 times during the day," he added.