On Wednesday, June 5, Russian-Syrian military exercises began in Syria “to practice actions to protect the territorial integrity of the republic.” This was reported by TASS with reference to the deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Warring Parties (CPVS) in Syria, Major General Yuri Popov.
The exercises are being conducted in Syrian airspace, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and in some land areas.
Popov noted that work continues in Syria aimed at a non-military resolution of the conflict and providing comprehensive assistance to Syrian citizens in restoring peaceful life. He also stated that the aviation of the international coalition led by the United States continues to create dangerous situations in the skies of Syria, flying in violation of deconfliction protocols and in violation of Syrian airspace. During the day, the coalition recorded eight cases of violation of protocols related to flights of MQ-9 modular reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles that were not coordinated with the Russian side.
In the Al-Tanf area, 13 violations were recorded during the day by two pairs of F-15 fighters, two pairs of Typhoon fighters, two pairs of A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft and a coalition MQ-1C multi-role unmanned aerial vehicle. Popov stressed that such actions create “dangerous preconditions for aviation incidents and accidents, and also aggravate the situation in Syrian airspace.”