According to media reports, Russia has warned that it will consider U.S.-led coalition aircraft in Syria “aerial targets” after a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian Air Force plane.
It is the first time in the conflict that the U.S. has shot down a Syrian jet.
Moscow condemned the downing of the Syrian jet, which came amid another first: Iran fired several ballistic missiles Sunday night at ISIS positions in eastern Syria.
According to CBS News, the U.S. military confirmed that one of its F-18 Super Hornets shot down a Syrian Su-22 that had dropped bombs near the U.S. partner forces known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near Tabqa in the afternoon of June 18.
The coalition said it contacted Russian counterparts via a special telephone line “to deescalate the situation and stop the firing.”
"The coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend coalition or partner forces from any threat," the statement said.
The Russian ministry, however, denied that the United States had used the channel before the Syrian Su-22 bomber was downed. It said it was also suspending interaction with the United States on preventing air incidents over Syria.
"Any flying objects, including planes and drones of the international coalition, discovered west of the Euphrates River will be tracked as aerial targets by Russia's air defenses on and above ground," the Defense Ministry said in its statement.
Meanwhile, Russian news agencies quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on June 19 that the United States should respect Syria's territorial integrity and refrain from unilateral actions in this country.
“As for what is happening 'on the ground' in Syria, we proceed from the assumption that it is necessary to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity in Syria,” Lavrov was quoted as saying. “Therefore, any actions 'on the ground,' and there are many participants there, including those who carry out military operations, should be coordinated with Damascus.”
Russia Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, described the U.S. strike as another step toward "dangerous escalation."
“We are warning Washington against using similar methods in the future,” Ryabkov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.
He added that he will meet with U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon on June 23 in St. Petersburg to discuss problems in bilateral ties, the news agency reported.
Russia’s Sputnik news agency reports that the Syrian army found the pilot of the downed aircraft, Captain Ali Fahd, alive in the village of Shuwaihat in the countryside of al-Rasafa, north of Tabqa in southern Raqqa, while added that the pilot landed using his parachute, after the US air force shot down his Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft in the Syrian Badiyah last Sunday.
