According to the US military, the drone was on a routine mission.
(Photo: Reuters)
Berlin New tensions between the US and Russia: An unmanned US military drone has collided with a Russian fighter jet in international airspace over the Black Sea. US forces then had to bring the drone down, the military said on Tuesday, complaining that “unsafe and unprofessional” action on the part of the Russian side caused the incident.
The U.S. Armed Forces drone was the MQ-9 Reaper. The drone was in international airspace over the Black Sea when it was harassed by two Russian planes, the US Air Force said. The incident reportedly happened on Tuesday morning.
The Russian Su-27 fighter jets initially dumped fuel several times directly in front of the drone, which was then rammed by one of the jets. Then it crashed, said General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa, according to the statement. The drone was on a routine mission.
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied any responsibility for the crash. The drone was neither shot at nor attacked in any other way, according to a statement distributed by the Tass state agency on Tuesday evening.
A Russian Air Force alarm squad was deployed to identify an unknown intruder over the Black Sea. During a sharp evasive maneuver, the drone rapidly lost altitude and fell into the sea, according to the Russian military. “The Russian warplanes did not use any onboard weapons, did not come into contact with the UAV and returned safely to their home base.”
This incident is one in a series of dangerous actions by Russian pilots with US and Allied aircraft in international airspace, including over the Black Sea, the US military further lamented. These aggressive actions by the Russian aircraft crew are dangerous and could lead to misjudgments and unintended escalations.
The MQ-9 Reaper has a length of 10 meters and a wingspan of 20 meters. It can be equipped with rockets and is controlled from a distance.
US President Biden informed of the incident
With the Russian attack on Ukraine, the NATO countries have intensified surveillance of the airspace in Europe. Reconnaissance planes are permanently in the air over the Black Sea and the western border of Ukraine to record the movements of the Russian military.
National Security Council communications director John Kirby said such intercepts are not in themselves uncommon. However, this case stands out due to the uncertain approach of the Russian side, which led to the complete loss of the drone. US President Joe Biden was informed of the incident.
If the Russians’ action was intended to prevent the United States from flying and operating in international airspace, then this message would not succeed. “Because that’s not going to happen,” Kirby pointed out. “We will continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters. The Black Sea does not belong to a single nation.”
The US wants to summon the Russian ambassador to Washington. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Washington he expected the ambassador to attend the high-level meeting at the State Department later Tuesday.
He will be informed of the “strong objections to the clearly unsafe and unprofessional interception” of the drone. Price stressed that when the US learned of the details of the incident, it informed its allies and partners at the highest level.
With agency material.
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