Russia has warned the US that it is monitoring the movement of F-16 fighter jets

Russia warned today that it was monitoring the movement of US F-16 fighter jets to the Middle East, the Kremlin said, after the Pentagon said two days ago that the planes had arrived in the central government’s area of ​​responsibility. Command of the United States Armed Forces.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily telephone news conference that “this is certainly a reason to pay attention” to the transfer of fighters to the Middle East.

However, he ruled out strengthening the US military presence in that region of the world, at least for now, as a “provocation” against Russia.

“Of course, we are closely monitoring the situation in the region. As for provocations, there have been none so far, so I can’t say anything,” the spokesperson said.

“This is an issue related to our military,” he added.

On the 24th, the Pentagon said a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters had arrived “to protect Russian troops in the Middle East” that same day.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, after attacks by the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, “Iranian-backed militant groups have attacked U.S. forces conducting counterterrorism operations in Iraq, as well as in Syria, on more than a dozen occasions. .”