Russian fighter jet flies dangerously close to US warplane over Syria

By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say that a Russian fighter jet flew very close to a U.S. surveillance aircraft over Syria, forcing it to go through the turbulent wake and putting the lives of the four American crew members in danger. The officials say the incident, which happened Sunday, was a significant escalation in what has been a string of encounters between U.S. and Russian aircraft in recent weeks. They say the intercept by the Russian Su-35 impeded the crew’s ability to safely operate their MC-12 aircraft. They called it a new level of unsafe behavior that could result in an accident or loss of life. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a military operation.