US conducts reconnaissance operations near Russia’s Hmeimim base in Syria

A US Navy Poseidon P-8A anti-submarine warplane conducted reconnaissance flights near Russia’s Hmeimim Air Base near the Syria’s Mediterranean coast, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported yesterday.

Interfax said the American warplane took off from the Sigonella Airbase in the Italian island of Sicily and flew towards the Syrian coast at an altitude of 6,000 metres and remained about 40-50 kilometres west of Hmeimim Air Base.

Last month, two Russian Su-35 fighters intercepted an American reconnaissance warplane east of the Mediterranean Sea.

At the time, the US Navy said the move was “unsafe” as Russian pilots had approached the warplane limiting its ability to manoeuvre.

“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible,” the US Sixth Fleet said in a statement.

“The US aircraft was operating consistent with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity,” it said.

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