Russia accuses the US of orchestrating a drone attack on Khmeimim air base in Syria
Colonel-General Alexander Fomin, who is the deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry, stated during a working the meeting that the American warplane was involved in the attack on the Russian military airbase Khmeimim, located in the Syrian province of Latakia.
"Thirteen drones were moving in combat formation, operated by one crew. All this time, for eight hours, the American reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon was cruising over the Mediterranean sea. When these 13 drones were in the visibility range of our electronic warfare systems, they moved some distance away, received commands and began to be operated over satellite channels. They were receiving assistance in finding the so-called holes [in our defense system] through which they attempted to penetrate. They were destroyed," Fomin said as quoted by the Russian news outlet Gazeta.ru.
A similar attack on the Russian military airbase Khmeimim took place on January 6. Then, the Russian military claimed that they were able to take control of six drones and destroyed seven others.