Russian Jets Continue to Harass US Drones Over Syria, Pentagon Reports

Russian fighter jets have once again harassed American military drones flying over eastern Syria, dropping parachute-borne flares in their flight path. The Pentagon has condemned these actions as "unsafe and unprofessional" and called on Russia to cease such behavior. A declassified video captured by an MQ-9 Reaper drone shows a Russian Su-35 fighter jet positioning itself in front of the drone before dropping flares. The American drone had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid the flares. France's military also reported similar incidents involving Russian fighter jets. The U.S. has approximately 900 troops in eastern Syria assisting in the fight against ISIS, while Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.