Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that the recent ISIS gains in the Syrian border town of Abu Kamal were facilitated by US forces, and that the US effectively provided air cover for ISIS fighters advancing on the town.

According to their statement, US fighter jets were deployed into the area near Abu Kamal, where Russian bombers had been trying to carry out bombing runs against ISIS fighters, and prevented Russia from carrying out strikes.

This allowed ISIS fighters in the area to regroup, and fairly quickly ISIS fighters from the surrounding area, backed by a large number of ISIS fighters in tunnels inside the town, fairly quickly regained control of the town.

Abu Kamal is the far edge of Syria’s ground forces’ supply lines, and such a push relies heavily on air power. With the US and Russia not really cooperating on their respective air wars, they try to give one another wide fields of operation. Russia appears to believe the US took advantage of this to impede air support in this important border crossing.