Russian warns it could shoot down RAF jets flying over Syria

RAF jets flying on air strikes over Syria could be targeted by the Russians, the Kremlin warned yesterday.

Tensions escalated on Sunday when the US military shot a Syrian regime jet out of the sky in ‘self-defence’ for the first time in the six-year war.

In response, the Russian defence ministry said it would view as ‘targets’ any planes from the US-led coalition flying west of the Euphrates river and in areas where its jets are operating.

It also suspended co-operation with the coalition aimed at avoiding air incidents over Syria, where Russia is bombing in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Yesterday Prime Minister Theresa May called on Moscow to continue the use of ‘de-confliction’ measures over the crowded Syrian skies to reduce the risk of misunderstandings.

RAF jets have dropped 500lb bombs on several Islamic State targets west of the Euphrates in recent months. But most of Britain’s war effort in Syria is now focused on the IS stronghold of Raqqa, in the east. RAF sources last night played down the Russian move, saying it was ‘political posturing’.

The Syrian regime’s SU-22 aircraft is said to have dropped bombs near coalition-backed fighters the Syrian Democratic Forces on Sunday. It was then shot down by a US F/A-18E Super Hornet. The Syrian military said the plane crashed and the pilot is missing.

The Syrian government said its plane was bombing IS, but the US insisted it was an attack on anti-IS rebels.

The Russian defence ministry said: ‘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 defences on and above ground.’

‘Political posturing’