Dramatic new footage has shown Russian fighter jets making dangerous maneuvers around US drone flight paths over Syria in back-to-back incidents this week.

US Air Forces Central, which released the harrowing videos, excoriated Russia for harassing the three American MQ-9 Reaper drones engaged in military operations targeting ISIS on Wednesday and Thursday.

“These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both US and Russian forces,” said Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the commander of the 9th Air Force in the Middle East .

“We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS.”

During the Thursday encounter, which happened about 9:30 a.m. local time, Russian aircraft dropped a series of flares in front of the drones “and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved,” Grynkewich said.

In video of the incident, two Russian fighter jets are seen buzzing over one of the US drones, deploying at least 12 flares.

Approximately 24 hours earlier, Russian jets had deployed parachute flares in front of the drones forcing them into evasive maneuvers, according to Grynkewich.

At one point, a Russian jet cut in front of one of the drones and activated its afterburner, which reduced “the operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft,” the officer added.

The US did not say what may have provoked the Russian behavior or precisely where over Syria the incident took place. But Moscow claimed its forces were conducting joint drills with Syrian forces when the American drone violated their airspace.

Asked if it were true that the US had come inappropriately close to Russia’s operating space, chief Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder queried reporters in response: “I mean, have you seen the video?”

“I think [Grynkewich’s] statement speaks for itself in terms of the type of unprofessional activity that we’re seeing from these Russian aircraft from these Russian pilots,” Ryder added.

Roughly 900 US personnel are deployed in Syria to help battle ISIS. Many of them are working with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their efforts to combat terrorism.

Pentagon officials have highlighted numerous recent incidents in which Russian jets have zipped over US bases without using a safety line intended to avert miscalculations.

Russia has its own military presence in Syria to back Damascus dictator Bashar al-Assad in the country’s decade-long civil war.