- A Russian armored vehicle rammed into an American patrol vehicle in eastern Syria on Monday
- Pentagon declined to comment as Politico reported that a statement on the attack had been drafted, but not issued, by U.S. Central Command
Four U.S. troops were wounded, suffering concussion from the high-speed sideswipe
- They were in their MRAP - Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected - vehicle as part of a patrol when the skirmish with a Russian patrol happened
- A Russian military helicopter flew low overhead, a tactic used to disperse people on the ground, and footage was released from the Russian vehicle
- About 500 U.S. troops remain in eastern Syria after Donald Trump ordered a pullout from the north of the country in 2019
- The exact location of the ramming has not been revealed
- Russian planes and ships have been repeatedly accused of buzzing their U.S. counterparts but skirmish is first of its kind involving ground forces
Syria could become the focus of a major superpower flashpoint. We live in dangerous times folks but the Russians are emboldened because they know Trump won't do a thing as he needs the Russians (and their silence, particularly in this election year) far more than they need him. I feel sorry for the US forces with such a Commander in Chief.