|
The
U.S. military said a MQ-9 drone over Syria was "severely"
damaged when it was hit with a flare from a Russian fighter jet
earlier this week, the latest in a series of close interactions
between Russian and U.S. military aircraft in the region.
"We call upon the Russian leadership to make sure that they
issue guidance to their troops to abide by the laws of the sky
and make sure that they cease this irresponsible behavior,"
Austin said, when asked about the incident in a news conference
in Brisbane, Australia.
Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in
Australia for the annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial (AUSMIN)
dialogue.
"We'll continue to engage using the established channels to
convey our concern and we'll continue to engage senior
leadership as appropriate. But, again, we will continue to
operate, as we have always operated in the airspaces, and we
will protect our interests and our resources," said Austin.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
