Russia warns US jets in Syria are potential targets
Military hotline between Moscow and Washington also closed down after US-backed jet shoots down Syrian plane

Tensions between Moscow and Washington increased yesterday when Russia warned the US-led coalition fighting in Syria that its aircraft are now "targets" after a jet shot down a Syrian government plane.
It also said it was withdrawing from a communication system designed to prevent accidental encounters with US aircraft.
The military hotline, set up two years, ago had been "a crucial link that has allowed Moscow and Washington to notify each other about their air operations in Syria", reports the New York Times. Until now, says the BBC's Jonathan Marcus, "the co-ordination mechanism has generally worked well and its operation is as much in Moscow's as Washington's interest".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The NY Times says suspending the hotline is "the most recent example of an intensifying clash of words and interests between the two powers, which support different sides in the six-year civil war in Syria".
The coalition confirmed that on Sunday, it shot down a Syrian bomber which attacked US-backed fighters attempting to oust Islamic State. The Syrian government, which counts Russia as its most important ally, condemned the "flagrant attack" and said it would have "dangerous repercussions".
"Any aircraft, including planes and drones... will be tracked by Russian anti-aircraft forces in the sky and on the ground and treated as targets," the Russian defence ministry wrote in a Facebook post.
In addition to the "usual rhetoric" – the charge that the US is violating Syrian sovereignty and breaking international law – Russia's response is "a practical step", says the BBC, promising to treat coalition drones and aircraft as potential targets.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"As the battle for eastern Syria steps up, Russia and its Syrian government ally seem intent on drawing a line in the sky."
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?
In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
Crossword: October 19, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime minister
In the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Inside Syria’s al-Hol camp
Under the radar Aid cuts mean authorities face ‘uphill struggle’ to maintain security
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Rubio says US brokered end to Syria conflict
Speed Read Syria's defense ministry was targeted in Israeli attacks on the capital
-
Syria's returning refugees
The Explainer Thousands of Syrian refugees are going back to their homeland but conditions there remain extremely challenging