Tensions Rise As Russia Threatens To Shoot Down U.S Warplanes
The crisis of confidence between the United States and Russia seems to have escalated as Vladimir Putin has threatened to shoot down any US warplane flying over Syria.
Tension between the both countries increased last month after the United States reportedly killed 83 Syrian soldiers in an airstrike, an incident the US claimed was not intentional.
Russian foreign ministry swiftly hit back, at the US, accusing them of “supporting” the Islamic State militants.
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Russian Defence ministry spokesperson, General Igor Konashenkov said on Friday that the country has ordered the deployment of sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems (high-tech S-300 and S-400 units) in war-torn Syria to protect its troops from unidentified planes and helicopters.
“Any missile or air strikes on the territory controlled by the Syrian government will create a clear threat to Russian servicemen,’’ Konashenkov said.
“Russian air defense system crews are unlikely to have time to determine in a ‘straight line’ the exact flight paths of missiles and then who the warheads belong to.
“And all the illusions of amateurs about the existence of ‘invisible’ jets will face a disappointing reality.”
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Already testy relations between the United States and Russia plummeted Monday as Washington suspended diplomatic contacts with Moscow over failed efforts to end the war in Syria
The move followed a threat last week from Secretary of State, John Kerry after a renewed Russia, Syria attacks on the city of Aleppo, despite a cease-fire agreement.
The US State Department said Russia had not lived up to the terms of an agreement last month to restore the cease-fire and ensure sustained deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged cities.
“This is not a decision that was taken lightly,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Russia failed to live up to its own commitments … and was also either unwilling or unable to ensure Syrian regime adherence to the arrangements to which Moscow agreed.”
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Monday’s announcement came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended a Russia-U.S. deal on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium, in a move that also underscored rising tensions between Washington and Moscow.
An airstrike last month hit a United Nations humanitarian aid convoy, killing 20 people. The United States has accused Russia of hitting the convoy, but both Russia and Syria deny it.
