Russian Defense: Flight Safety Memorandum With US Suspended, Unidentified Flying Objects West of Euphrates Will be Considered Targets

19 June، 2017

Moscow, SANA – The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday the suspension of the flight safety in Syria memorandum signed between Moscow and Washington, and that Russian aerial defense will treat any flying object as a target.

In a statement, the Ministry said that as of today it has suspended work with the American side within the framework of the memo on preventing accidents and guaranteeing safe flights during operations in Syria, calling on Washington to carry out a thorough investigation of the shooting down of a Syrian Air Force aircraft by the international alliance in the surroundings of al-Rasafa town in Raqqa an providing the results to the Russian side.

The General Command of the Army and Armed Forces had announced on Sunday that a Syrian fighter plane was shot down by the US-led alliance near al-Rasafa while carrying out an operation against ISIS.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russia aerial defense systems in the air and on the ground will now treat any flying objects including fighters and drones belonging to the alliance spotted west of the Euphrates River as targets.

Hazem Sabbagh