US–Russia Tensions Mount Over Syria Amid ‘Uptick’ in Aerial Encounters

Moscow alleged that a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone had flown “dangerously” close to a Russian Su-34 fighter jet near the Syrian city of Raqqa.

A Russian fighter jet flies close to a U.S. MQ-9 reaper drone over Syria on July 23, 2023. U.S. Air Force via AP

Russia hopes to avoid military escalation with the United States in Syria but is nevertheless “ready for any scenario,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said recently when asked about increasingly frequent encounters in Syrian airspace.

“Russia is ready for any scenario but does not want a direct military clash,” he told reporters on July 29.