{"id":20380,"date":"2020-02-06T15:06:34","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T15:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/06\/us-troops-have-been-squaring-off-with-russian-contractors-in-syria-raising-worries-of-wider-conflict\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:54:14","slug":"us-troops-have-been-squaring-off-with-russian-contractors-in-syria-raising-worries-of-wider-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/02\/06\/us-troops-have-been-squaring-off-with-russian-contractors-in-syria-raising-worries-of-wider-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"US troops have been squaring off with Russian contractors in Syria raising worries of wider conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The top U.S. envoy to Syria told reporters Wednesday that he was worried about the increasing number of incidents of Russian contractors pushing deep into U.S.-backed partner force territory in northeastern Syria<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A number of photos taken in January by Agence France-Presse photographer Delil Souleiman<\/a> have depicted American Oshkosh M-ATV vehicles interdicting and blocking Russian<\/a> armored vehicles along strategic roads in northeastern Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Jeffrey, the U.S. envoy to Syria<\/a>, said Russians have on a \u201climited\u201d number of occasions violated deconfliction agreements with U.S. forces by moving deep into Syrian Democratic Force\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are worries the confrontations between Russian contractors and U.S. troops could spiral into conflict. Jeffrey commended the professionalism of U.S. troops on the ground for keeping these incidents with the Russians from escalating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of times these incidents have occurred have been less than 20 percent, Jeffrey told reporters. But he explained that the Russian patrols into SDF territory have been increasing, and he described the trend as \u201ctroubling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t