Russia’s defence ministry says it is suspending coordination with the United States in Syria over so-called “de-confliction zones” after the Americans downed a Syrian government fighter jet.
Key points:
- Moscow says it will treat all jets, drones west of the Euphrates River as potential targets
- The US says it retains right to self-defence but insists communication channels stay open
- The incident marks the first time the US has shot down a Syrian regime aircraft
The ministry said in a statement on Monday that it was suspending the deal, while US-backed opposition forces on the ground warned Syrian government troops to stop their attacks or face retaliation.
Moscow said it viewed the incident as Washington’s “deliberate failure to make good on its commitments” under the de-confliction deal, but the White House responded that coalition forces retained the right to defend themselves.
The US and Russia, which had been providing air cover for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad since 2015 in his offensive against the Islamic State group, had a standing agreement that should prevent in-the-air incidents involving US and Russian jets engaged in operations in Syria.
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