- A Russian fighter plane clipped the propeller of a US spy drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea.
- The US military said two Russian Su-27 jets initially intercepted the drone over international airspace, dumping fuel on the aircraft in a possible attempt to blind or damage it.
- Russia has denied its aircraft came into contact with the drone, and said it had crashed due to “sharp manoeuvring”.
- The American MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted drone used for surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as attack missions.
A Russian fighter jet has collided with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in international airspace over the Black Sea, causing the latter to crash. The Kremlin has denied any involvement but says US activity near Russia’s borders is “cause for concern”.
A Russian fighter plane clipped the propeller of a US spy drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea. The incident will likely increase tensions between Russia and the West as it is the first direct encounter between the two sides since the invasion began. The US military said two Russian Su-27 jets initially intercepted the drone over international airspace, dumping fuel on the aircraft in a possible attempt to blind or damage it. It said the fighters’ jets then used unsafe manoeuvres to fly in front of the drone for the next 30 to 40 minutes – before one collided with the drone. Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said the drone was likely damaged and that its operators were forced to crash it because it had become uncontrollable. Russia has denied its aircraft came into contact with the drone, and said it had crashed due to “sharp manoeuvring”.
Moscow has said it views the incident as a provocation – although its ambassador to the US said Russia does not want any confrontation with America. Ambassador Anatoly Antonov was summoned by the US yesterday, and said he had a “constructive conversation” with the Assistant Secretary of State for Europe. Meanwhile, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder described the actions of Russian pilots as “unsafe” and “unprofessional”. “I think the actions speak for themselves,” he said. Asked whether the drone was flying near Ukraine, he added it was “well clear of any territory in Ukraine”.
The US doesn’t currently have the ability to recover the MQ-9 Reaper drone. There will be “sensitive elements on board”, but “the Americans will have done all they can to make sure that anything that is secret is not accessible: is deleted, destroyed”.
The American MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted drone used for surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as attack missions. Its crew is comprised of a pilot, sensor operator and ground intelligence coordinator, who together can fly the vehicle to more than 50,000ft.
