Watch: Moment Russian fighter jet damages US Reaper drone over Syria

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has said a US drone has been "severely damaged" by a Russian fighter jet over Syria - the latest in a series of incidents between Moscow and Washington.

According to the US DoD, the Russian fighter flew "dangerously close" to the US MQ-9 Reaper drone - used for both reconnaissance and striking targets on the battlefield.

The fighter jet then deployed "flares from a position directly over" the Reaper drone, deployed on a "defeat-ISIS" mission in Syria.

• US drones 'once again harassed' by Russian fighter jets over Syria
• US releases footage of Russian fighter jets 'harassing' US drones over Syria
• RAF Typhoons struck two IS terrorist targets in north eastern Iraq

The flares hit the drone, "severely damaging its propeller", but "despite the damage, the aircraft was able to return to its home base".

In a Pentagon press briefing, Sabrina Singh, US Deputy Press Secretary, said it was "yet again another blatant disregard of how to operate".

She also added it "flies in the face of operating safely and professionally, and continues to distract from our mission there, which is to defeat ISIS".

"The Russians know where we operate," Ms Singh said.

"There's no excuse for how their forces continue to harass our MQ-9s after years of US operations in the area. 

"And so again, we call on the Russians to conduct their ways in accordance with international law."