A Russian Su-27 aircraft rammed the propeller of a US MQ-9 drone this morning, a development that is likely to escalate tensions between the two world powers. According to the US European Command, the incident resulted in US forces bringing down the MQ-9 in international waters.
“Several times prior to the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner. This incident, in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional, demonstrates a lack of capability, US European Command added.
The agency said, “This follows a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots during interactions with US and allied aircraft over international airspace, including the Black Sea. These aggressive actions by Russian airmen are dangerous and lead to miscalculations and unintended escalation.” may cause.” Ahead.
On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry rejected the claims made by the US government. The Russian Defense Ministry said its warplanes did not use weapons or affect the US drone that went down after the encounter over the Black Sea.
The ministry said the US drone was flying near the Russian border and entered an area declared restricted by Russian authorities. It said the Russian military scrambled fighter jets to intercept the drone, which it claimed plunged into the water after a sharp manoeuvre.
The US military said earlier that a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of an American surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in open violation of international law, prompting the US military to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle.