Report: Russia demands that American planes stay out of Syrian skies

Russia has demanded that American warplanes exit Syrian airspace immediately, a US official told Fox News on Wednesday.

 

The official said that Russian diplomats sent an official message to the US ordering American planes out of Syria, adding that Russian fighter jets were now flying over Syrian territory, according to the report.

 

US military sources told the news outlet that US planes would not comply with the Russian demand.

 

“There is nothing to indicate that we are changing operations over Syria,” a senior defense official told Fox.

 

The Russian parliament on Wednesday unanimously granted President Vladimir Putin the right to deploy the country’s military in Syria, a move a top Kremlin aide said related only to the air force.

 

Russia has been building up its military presence in Syria, where it supports the government forces of President Bashar Assad in a conflict that pits him against Islamic State militants and Western-backed rebels.

 

Read More: Report: Russia demands that American planes stay out of Syrian skies – Middle East – Jerusalem Post