U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called on Russia today, Saturday, to adhere to the laws that protect the airspace of nations and to cease "irresponsible behavior" following questions about Russian attacks on a U.S. drone in Syria. In response to questions about the incident during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia, Austin stated, "We call on the Russian leadership to ensure that they are issuing directives to their forces to comply with the laws of the skies and to stop this irresponsible behavior."
Austin added, "We will continue to communicate through established channels to express our concerns and will continue to engage with senior leadership whenever necessary. But again, we will continue to operate as we always have in the skies, and we will protect our interests and resources." The U.S. military indicated that an MQ-9 drone sustained "significant" damage when it was struck by gunfire from a Russian fighter jet while flying over Syria last week, marking the latest close encounter between Russian and U.S. military aircraft in the region. Austin is currently in Australia alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend the annual U.S.-Australia ministerial dialogue.
