Russia says its missile systems in Syria will track everything in the air west of the Euphrates River as a potential target — including aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition — after the U.S. shot down a Syrian jet Sunday. U.S. officials say the aircraft had struck America's rebel allies.
Russia also says it will suspend its participation in a "deconfliction" line that was established to prevent inadvertent clashes when Russia began military operations in Syria's airspace 20 months ago.
The announcement by Russia's Ministry of Defense comes one day after a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 . The Pentagon says the Syrian jet was downed "immediately" after it dropped bombs near fighters from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, who had been holding a town west of Raqqa as part of an offensive against ISIS.
"As a result of the attack, the Syrian aircraft was destroyed," the Russian ministry said Monday, adding that the pilot ejected over an ISIS-controlled area and his status is unknown.
It's believed to be the first time in nine years that "a U.S. combat aircraft has shot down a manned enemy aircraft in aerial combat," The Aviationist reports .
On Monday, Russia's Ministry of Defense accused the U.S. of "a cynical violation" of Syria's sovereignty, saying that Russian aircraft had also been carrying out combat missions in the same region — and that the coalition didn't use the deconfliction channels.
Raqqa sits along the Euphrates' eastern bank; the aerial combat took place south of Tabqah, a city on the other side of the river and about 30 miles to the west of Raqqa.
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