Russian fighter jet dumped fuel on an American drone and then collided with it over the Black Sea, causing the drone to crash, US military said on Tuesday.
The unmanned MQ-9 Reaper was intercepted over international waters by two Russian Su-27 fighters, one of which clipped its propeller, according to US European Command.
“Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” it said.
Moscow denied responsibility for the drone’s downing, which the Pentagon said was on a routine ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) mission.
The US State Department summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to convey “our strong objections”, department spokesman Ned Price said
“As a result of a sharp manoeuvre… the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle entered an uncontrolled flight with loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that the two Russian jets had no contact with the US aircraft and did not use their weapons.
A Western military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that diplomatic channels between Russia and the United States would be activated.
“To my mind, diplomatic channels will mitigate this,” the source said.
The US uses MQ-9 Reapers for both surveillance and strikes, and has long kept an eye on Russian naval forces over the Black Sea.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Western-backed Ukraine a year ago, the situation in the region has only gotten worse.
“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,” said US Air Force General James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa.
This incident is seen as the first time when Russian and US military aircraft have come into direct physical contact since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine.
The US particularly stated this one as “reckless, envionementally unsound and unprofessional act” by the Russians.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday morning, according to National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby, reported CNN.
