Russian pilots tried to ‘dogfight’ US jets over Syria, US Central Command says

Russian pilots tried to “dogfight” US jets over Syria, according to a spokesman for US Central Command, part of a recent pattern of more aggressive behavior.

The attempts have happened in several of the most recent instances of aggressive behavior from Russian pilots, Col. Joe Buccino said.

The Russian pilots do not appear to be trying to shoot down American jets, a US official told CNN, but they may be trying to “provoke” the US and “draw us into an international incident.”

In military aviation, dogfighting is engaging in aerial combat, often at...