World
US says Russian fighter jets again harass Reaper drones in Syria
Russian fighter jets accused of conducting dangerous manoeuvres for second day near US military drones over Syria.
Russian fighter jets have again flown dangerously close to several US MQ-9 Reaper drones operating over Syria – the second such incident of harassment in 24 hours – setting off flares and forcing Washington’s unmanned aerial vehicles to take evasive manoeuvres, the United States air force said.
The protest from the US air forces came as the French military said that two of its fighter jets on patrol over the Iraq-Syria border area were forced to manoeuvre “to control the risk of accident” involving a Russian Sukhoi SU-35 warplane on Thursday.
The Russian aircraft had engaged in “non-professional interaction” with two of France’s Rafale planes deployed to the region as part of “Operation Chammal”, which seeks to contain the ISIL (ISIS) group in Iraq and Syria, the French military said.
Two separate incidents on Wednesday and Thursday involving Russian warplanes and US Reaper drones were captured on video, the US said.
“The events represent a new level of unprofessional and unsafe action by Russian air forces operating in Syria,” the US military said.
“We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behaviour and adhere to the standards of behaviour expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS,” Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, head of US Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement.
In the first incident, which took place about 10:40am (07:40 GMT) local time on Wednesday in northwest Syria, Russian Sukhoi SU-35 fighters closed in on a Reaper drone, and one of the Russian pilots moved their aircraft in front of the US aerial vehicles and engaged the SU-35’s afterburner, which greatly increases its speed and air pressure.
The jet blast from the afterburner could have potentially damaged the Reaper’s electronics, and Grynkewich said it reduced the drone operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft.
Later, a number of so-called parachute flares released by the Russian planes moved into the drone’s flight path. The flares are attached to parachutes.
In the second incident, which took place over northwest Syria at approximately 9:30am (06:30 GMT) on Thursday local time, “Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved,” Grynkewich said.
The Reaper drones involved in the incidents were not armed with weapons and are commonly used for reconnaissance missions.
Earlier this year, a diplomatic dispute erupted briefly when the US claimed that Russian jets were responsible for the downing of a Reaper drone, valued at more than $30m and packed with sensitive US spying technology, operating over the Black Sea.
Moscow denied its warplanes were responsible for the drone crashing into the sea in March but video footage released by the US military showed the Russian planes engaged in manoeuvres to hamper the drone’s flight path.
US officials said the Russian jets flew around and in front of the Reaper drone several times for 30 to 40 minutes, and then one “struck the propeller” of the drone, “causing US forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters”.
The US said the drone was operating in international airspace, reportedly west of Ukraine’s Crimea over the Black Sea. The Russian defence ministry said the drone had intruded into an area that was declared off-limits by Russian authorities.
Of the latest incidents, US Army General Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, said in a statement that Russia’s violation of ongoing efforts to clear the airspace over Syria “increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation”.
About 900 US forces are deployed to Syria to work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces battling ISIL fighters.
In April, Russian forces operating in Syria accused the US military of engaging in “provocative actions” on the ground.
Russia together with Turkey carries out joint patrols in northern Syria and has agreed on special zones where the US-led coalition can operate in its fight against ISIL.
World
John Stamos Shares Full House Reunion Photo With Olsen Twins in Honor of Bob Saget’s Birthday
ad
World
Climate activists glue themselves to Munich airport runway, pausing traffic
A group of climate protesters have been arrested in Germany after breaking into an airport and gluing themselves to the runway.
Six activists broke through security fencing at Munich airport in the German state of Bavaria on Saturday, according to the news outlet dpa.
Approximately sixty flights were canceled after the half-dozen protesters glued themselves to the tarmac, forcing officials to temporarily close the airport.
CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ARRESTED FOR BLOCKING AIRSTRIP IN MASSACHUSETTS
An additional fourteen flights into Munich were forced to divert to other nearby airports to avoid the disruption.
Climate protest coalition Last Generation took credit for the stunt, claiming it was intended to draw attention to the German government’s inaction on the airline industry’s environmental impact.
CLIMATE GROUP TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR US OPEN CHAOS, OFFERS WARNING: ‘NO TENNIS ON A DEAD PLANET’
All six protesters were arrested and charged by law enforcement.
“Trespassing in the aviation security area is no trivial offense. Over hundreds of thousands of passengers were prevented from a relaxed and punctual start to their Pentecost holiday,” German Airports Association General Manager Ralph Beisel told dpa.
“Such criminal actions threaten air traffic and harm climate protection because they only cause lack of understanding and anger,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wrote about the protests on social media platform X.
The Munich incident was just one of many similar protests around the world against air transportation. Last Generation has performed at least two similar airport disruptions in Germany since last year.
World
Russian court seizes two European banks’ assets amid Western sanctions
Freezing hundreds of billions of dollars in lenders’ assets was part of dispute over gas project halted by sanctions.
A Russian court has ordered the seizure of the assets, accounts, property and shares of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank in the country as part of a lawsuit involving the German banks, court documents showed.
The banks are among the guarantor lenders under a contract for the construction of a gas processing plant in Russia with the German company Linde. The project was terminated due to Western sanctions.
European banks have largely exited Russia after Moscow launched its offensive on Ukraine in 2022.
A court in St Petersburg ruled in favour of seizing 239 million euros ($260m) from Deutsche Bank, documents dated May 16 showed.
Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt said it had already provisioned about 260 million euros ($283m) for the case.
“We will need to see how this claim is implemented by the Russian courts and assess the immediate operational impact in Russia,” the bank added in a statement.
The court also seized the assets of Commerzbank, another German financial institution, worth 93.7 million euros ($101.85m) as well as securities and the bank’s building in central Moscow.
The bank is yet to comment on the case.
In a parallel lawsuit on Friday, the Russian court also ordered UniCredit’s assets, accounts and property, as well as shares in two subsidiaries, to be seized. The ruling covered 462.7 million euros ($503m) in assets.
UniCredit said it “has been made aware” of the decision and was “reviewing” the situation in detail. The bank was one of the most exposed European banks when Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, with a large local subsidiary operating in Russia.
It began preliminary discussions on a sale last year, but the talks have not advanced. Chief executive Andrea Orcel said UniCredit wants to leave Russia, but added that gifting an operation worth three billion euros ($3.3bn) was not a good way to respect the spirit of Western sanctions on Moscow over the conflict.
Russia has faced heavy Western sanctions, including on its banking sector, since the start of the war in Ukraine. Dozens of US and European companies have also stopped doing business in the country.
-
Education1 week ago
Video: Police Use Pepper Spray on Protesters on G.W.U.’s Campus
-
Politics1 week ago
Ohio AG defends letter warning 'woke' masked anti-Israel protesters they face prison time: 'We have a society'
-
Politics1 week ago
Biden’s decision to pull Israel weapons shipment kept quiet until after Holocaust remembrance address: report
-
Finance1 week ago
Spring Finance Forum 2024: CRE Financiers Eye Signs of Recovery
-
World7 days ago
India Lok Sabha election 2024 Phase 4: Who votes and what’s at stake?
-
World1 week ago
A look at Chinese investment within Hungary
-
News1 week ago
The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024
-
News1 week ago
Tornadoes tear through the southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead