US officials said on Friday that Russian and US military officials are using a special hotline to communicate Syria's actions. Russia said on Monday that it would stop using the so-called "downward" line in response to the shooting down of regime fighters by American pilots in northern Syria. Moscow accused Washington of not issuing a warning. But Colonel Ryan Tommy Tam, a spokesman for the American Leadership Alliance, told reporters in a video call: "This decryption line has been used." . He said: "Our aircrew and ground troops are safe, which is useful. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that cruise missiles launched from the Mediterranean Sea were used to carry out "large-scale surprise missile strikes" against IS targets. Tommy Tam wouldn't say whether Russia warned Americans before the strike, but US defense officials confirmed this to AFP. Sunday's attack resulted in an American pilot shooting at a government warplane for "dropping bombs" on local troops supported by the United States. Moscow soon said that it would stop using this line, but the reality is that the communication channel is an important link between Russia and the United States to ensure that these two countries avoid accidents in the chaotic fighting space in Syria. In April this year, similar threats occurred in Moscow after the United States carried out patrol missile attacks on government air bases in retaliation for chemical weapons attacks on civilians.