The secure communications channel that allows U.S. and Russian officials to coordinate activities in Syria is still open, two senior military officials said Friday, contradicting Russian reports that the two sides were no longer talking.
The hotline was established in 2015 so the two countries’ aircraft could operate over Syria without colliding, and to prevent friendly-fire incidents on the ground. News surfaced on several Russian websites Friday morning that Russia had suspended communications following the U.S. missile strike on Shayrat air base in Syria.
The military officials told reporters at the Pentagon that they informed the Russians prior to the attack, but there is some discussion as to whether Russia, which has supported the presidency of Bashar Assad, tipped off the Syrians prior to the missile strikes.
The U.S. said it fired 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles from two Navy warships in the eastern Mediterranean, but one of those missiles failed. All of the remaining 59 missiles reached the airfield and destroyed some 20 Syrian aircraft. Some of those aircraft were out in the open and other were under hardened bunkers. Russia claims only six of the Syrian aircraft were destroyed.
