Flight security

Russia Threatens to Target U.S. Warplanes Over Syria

Russia condemned on Monday the American military’s downing of a Syrian warplane and suspended the use of a military hotline that Washington and Moscow have used to avoid collisions in Syrian airspace. Russia also threatened to target aircraft flown by the United States and its allies over Syria.

The Russian military has halted cooperation in the past — notably after President Trump ordered the launch of missiles against a Syrian air base in April — and it was not clear whether the latest action would be lasting. Nonetheless, it was the most recent example of the intensifying clash of words and interests between the two powers, which back different sides in Syria’s civil war.