BREAKING: Russian Pilots Tried To ‘Dogfight’ American Jets To “Provoke International Incident”

Tensions are flaring after a US Central Command spokesman said Saturday morning that Russian pilots attempted to “dogfight” US jets flying over Syria.

A US official told CNN that the Russian pilots were not really trying to shoot down the US jets but were potentially trying to “draw us into an international incident” or “provoke” the US into war.

Col. Joe Buccino said this is a reoccurring issue with Russian pilots, who have been constantly aggravating and harassing US pilots in mid-air.

Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich told Defense One that the US is going to continue trying to “de-escalate the situation.”

The Russians are “maneuvering aggressively against us when our protocols would say we’re supposed to stay… several miles apart and just monitor each other. They’re aggressively maneuvering, almost like they’re trying to dogfight, if you will.”

“The guidance that I’ve given our folks is we’re not going to act like they are [trying to dogfight]. We’re going to act in a professional manner, and we’re going to try to de-escalate the situation.”

Earlier this week, Russia warned President Joe Biden that the risk of nuclear war is “steadily increasing.”

As Trending Politics previously reported:

Russia has issued a warning to President Joe Biden and the United States, signaling that the risk of nuclear war is “steadily increasing” as Ukraine-related tensions between the two nations continue to escalate.

The statement comes amid reports that the United States has decided to cease exchanging certain information about its nuclear forces with Russia, following Moscow’s refusal to do so, as a response to its suspending participation in the New START treaty.

Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, stated that the fate of the START treaty may be a “foregone conclusion” if the United States continues to follow its current course of confrontation with Russia.

He further added, “The most acute threat today is associated … with the danger of nuclear escalation as a result of a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers.”

“And these risks, to the deepest regret, are steadily growing.”