In yet another close engagement between the two countries in Syrian airspace, Russia accused the US MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone flew "dangerously close" to the two Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets, marking a second such incident in less than a week, RT reported.
Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, the deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said it took place after 7:30am local time over the northwestern Aleppo Province.
He stated that the Russian planes automatically "fired decoy flares after their radars showed that the Reaper had locked its weapons on them."
However, the White House said otherwise stating that the Russian aircraft were "flying dangerously close to our drone," busy in operation against Daesh.
Pentagon earlier noted that a Russian jet flew within meters of an MQ-9 during a separate incident Sunday, damaging the drone’s propeller with flares.
"The Russian fighter’s blatant disregard for flight safety detracts from our mission to ensure the enduring defeat of [Daesh]," said the commander of Air Force Central Command, Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich.
While responding to the incident, Gurinov said the Reaper was flying in a reckless manner, and the collision was narrowly avoided thanks to "the high level of professionalism of the Russian pilots."
The US and Russia have been accusing each other of such maneuvers over Syrian airspace.
Gurinov told reporters that Russian planes were conducting flights strictly in accordance with existing agreements between Russia and the US, aimed at preventing incidents involving military aircraft.
Earlier this month, Russian fighter jets were engaged in provocative actions against the US military drones flying over eastern Syria for the second consecutive day.
The Pentagon has labeled these acts "unsafe and unprofessional" and has called on Russia to cease such risky behaviour. In an alarming incident, Russian fighter jets dropped parachute-borne flares in the flight path of the American drones, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers.