After a US F-18 shot down a Syrian fighter, Russia says it will treat US, coalition jets as targets

Russia says it will treat US-led coalition planes in Syria, west of the Euphrates, as targets after US downed Syrian jet after a US F/A-18 shot down a Syrian Su-22 that dropped bombs near US-backed forces.

Russia’s defense ministry also 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.

The United States and Russia, which has been providing an air cover for Syria’s President Bashar Assad since 2015 in his offensive against the Islamic State group, have a standing agreement that should prevent in-the-air incidents involving U.S. and Russia jets engaged in operations in Syria.

The Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Monday that it was suspending the deal after the U.S. military confirmed that it downed a Syrian Air Force fighter jet on Sunday after it dropped bombs near U.S. partner forces.

The ministry says it views the incident as Washington’s “deliberate failure to make good on its commitments” under the de-confliction deal.

The Business Insider 

UM– USEKE.RW