U.S. officials: Russia is conducting drone surveillance missions over Syria

U.S. officials said Monday that Russia has started to fly drone aircraft on surveillance missions over Syria.

The officials said the drone operations appear to be out of an air base near Latakia, a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and it is not clear how many drones are being used or the scope of their missions. One official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters that over the last few days, Russia has positioned a dozen "Fencer" advanced-attack aircraft and a dozen "Frogfoot" jets for close air support at the air base, a week after fighter jets were deployed to the same base.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue military support for Assad, and U.S. and Russian defense chiefs said on Friday they would meet to discuss ways to avoid accidental interactions over Syria, Reuters reports. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Russia sending air support to Syria adds to questions about whether Moscow's goal is to fight against the Islamic State or to "prop up the Assad regime."

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