Russia flying more armed aircraft over US bases in Syria, US CENTCOM commander says

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Russia flying more armed aircraft over US bases in Syria, US CENTCOM commander says

U.S. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla told senators Thursday that the Pentagon has seen an "increase recently in the unprofessional and unsafe behavior of the Russian Air Force."

U.S. Central Command has seen more "unprofessional" and "unsafe" behavior from Russian pilots in Syria since March 1, a commander said Thursday.

Gen. Michael Kurilla explained the ongoing harassment of U.S. forces in the region at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

US VIDEO SHOWS MOMENT RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET COLLIDES WITH US DRONE

Gen. Michael Kurilla testifies during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"What we are seeing, though, is an increase recently in the unprofessional and unsafe behavior of the Russian Air Force in the region," Kurilla stated.

The general explained that Russian aircraft have become emboldened to act aggressively toward U.S. bases in a way not typical of an organized military force.

RUSSIAN SHIPS AT US DRONE CRASH SITE IN BLACK SEA, US OFFICIAL SAYS: 'THEY WASTED NO TIME'

U.S. European Command on Thursday released video of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet colliding with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, March 14. This screenshot shows a jet dumping fuel. (US European Command)

A map shows the locations of where a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone was intercepted and then struck by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet, and where the drone crashed, March 14, 2023, in the Black Sea. (U.S Air Forces Europe/Fox News)

"They fly over our bases with ground attack aircraft with weapons on them in an attempt to try and be provocative. But really, it's unsafe, unprofessional, not what we expect of a professional air force. They want to try and renegotiate the deconfliction protocols that they violate every day."

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., asked Kurilla, "This is not new Russia behavior, is it, sir, especially in regard to the drone incident that we have recently seen?" 

"It's not new, but we have seen a significant spike since about 1 March in Syria," Kurilla responded.

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The behavior of Russian military aircraft has become a major concern for U.S. defense officials after a fighter jet harassed a U.S. drone and clipped its propeller, sending it crashing into the Black Sea.

Russian ships are at the MQ-9 drone crash site in the Black Sea, a U.S. defense official told Fox News on Thursday. Russia sent vessels to search the debris field almost immediately following the crash.