After the US spy drone crashed in the Black Sea, they accused Russian fighter pilots of reckless behavior, writes the BBC.
The US drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian fighter jets tried to intercept it. The incident sheds light on the growing possibility of a confrontation between Russia and the US. Meanwhile, Russia denies that its aircraft made contact with the American drone. The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that the MQ-9 Reaper drone fell after a sharp maneuver.
The incident happened on the evening of Tuesday, the 14th of March. The US Army statement said:
«Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.»
The statement also states that fuel was poured on the drone from Su-27 fighters several times before it was shot down. The US has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, to express an official protest.
After the meeting, the Russian ambassador announced that Moscow considers the incident a provocation and that the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle is an unacceptable US military activity in the immediate vicinity of the Russian border.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, the US and Britain have increased the number of reconnaissance and surveillance flights, but they have always been confined to international airspace.
The main question now is whether the 14th of March incident was a deliberate attempt by Russia to interfere with the work of the US drone and whether the goal was to bring it down.
According to information from the US side, the dangerous behavior of Russian pilots in contact with allies’ aircraft has been observed in the region for some time. This means that shooting down the flying robot could be a mistake. On the other hand, if the drone is shot down deliberately, then it can be considered an attack by a Russian fighter jet on a US aircraft, and it can escalate the already tense situation.
Western allies are trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia, and now the US must evaluate its response.
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