nHe warns after a military incident occurs between the United States and Russia over the Black Sea US government Moscow before the escalation. US National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby denied Moscow’s account of the incident and said the US government was considering publishing footage of a US drone encountering two Russian planes to provide clarification.
Kirby warned that such inappropriate behavior by Russian pilots could lead to a „miscalculation” between the armed forces of the two countries. Referring to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, he said, „We do not want this war to escalate beyond what it has already done for the Ukrainian people.”
According to the US Army, US military drone MQ-9 Reaper Collided with a Russian fighter jet in international airspace over the Black Sea. The US forces should have smashed the drone after impact.
Russia denies physical contact. Instead, the drone slammed into the water’s surface after a sharp evasive maneuver.
Kiev defends against US drone strikes
the Ukrainian Air Force He defended the use of US reconnaissance drones in the Black Sea. „The Black Sea is not an internal sea of Russia, because they have occupied the Sea of Azov and consider it theirs,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on television in Kiev on Wednesday night. Countries bordering the Black Sea are also members of NATO, including Turkey and Romania, which is why US drones operate there on a legal basis.
the Black Sea On the border with both Russia and Ukraine. Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, criticized after the accident that the crashed American plane was thousands of kilometers from home, near the Russian border. It is a „provocation”. The drone collects data for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike Russia. Antonov said this was „an impermissible activity”.
„We expect the United States to refrain from further media speculation and stop flights near the Russian border,” Antonov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday. „We consider any action involving the use of US weapons to be openly hostile.”
The United States invoked international law providing for the use over neutral waters permissible. Ihnat said in Kiev that a new American drone is already in use to replace the one that crashed. The incident occurred on Tuesday, southeast of Ukraine’s Snake Island in the Black Sea.
How would the United States describe the incident?
after US forces information The drone was on a routine reconnaissance flight on Tuesday morning. Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets in action in a „dangerous and unprofessional” manner Intercepted in international airspace over the Black Sea. The US Armed Forces Europe regional headquarters in Stuttgart (US Eucom) said that fighter jets first drained fuel on the drone. Then one of the Russian planes touched the drone’s propeller, and then crashed.
„Our MQ-9 was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and rammed by a Russian aircraft,” said US Air Force Gen. James Hecker. Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said the Russian fighter jet „damaged” the drone’s propeller. Then the drone was „unflyable” and „uncontrollable” and then shot down by the US armed forces.
According to Rader, Russian fighter jets have previously flown alongside the drone for about 30 to 40 minutes. It is possible that the Russian plane was also damaged by hitting the drone’s propeller, but managed to land in an unknown location.
The US State Department announced after the incident that Russian ambassador They were called in Washington. Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States wanted to express its „strong objection to this dangerous and unprofessional interception” of the drone. In Moscow, US Ambassador Lynn Tracy has already sent a „strong message” to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
What does Russia say
the Russian Ministry of Defense However, he denied that his fighter jets were responsible for the drone crash. Fighter jets intercepted the American drone. However, there was no „contact” at all, and the combat aircraft did not use their weapons either.
Instead, the American drone is stalking „surprise maneuver” Moscow said an „uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude” and then hit the surface of the water. The drone was discovered „in the region of Crimea,” which was annexed by Russia. The drone flew „towards” the Russian border.
Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, immediately denied the comments made by Russia. „We reject Russia’s denials,” he told CNN. Meanwhile, he announced that the United States had „taken action” to recover the plane. „Obviously, we wouldn’t want anyone else to put it on any more than we would.”
NATO diplomats in Brussels said they did not expect an escalation after the incident. A Western military official told AFP that diplomatic channels between Russia and the United States should help calm the situation. „I suppose diplomatic channels will mitigate that.”
The United States has long been conducting reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea, observing Russian naval units.
According to the Pentagon, US flights are being intercepted by Russian fighter jets time and time again. However, this usually means that fighter jets accompany flights for a period of time and may require them to detour.
Reaper drones can be used for reconnaissance flights, but also for missile attacks and laser-guided bombs. In recent years, the US Armed Forces have lost several drones of this type – either through crashes or to enemy fire.
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