US military drone crashes in Black Sea after Russian intervention – World
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WASHINGTON: A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted and hit the propeller of a US military MQ-9 “Reaper” surveillance drone on Tuesday, causing it to crash into the Black Sea, the Pentagon said. This is the first such incident since the invasion of Russia. Ukraine a year ago.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Army General Christopher Cavalli, alerted NATO allies to the incident, which was strongly condemned by the White House and the Pentagon – which warned of an escalation. . The State Department said it was summoning Russia’s ambassador over the incident.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow.
Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the US military has inadvertently intercepted a US spy drone before one of them crashed into it at 7:03 a.m. (0603 GMT).
Several times before the collision, Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the MQ-9 — possibly trying to blind or damage it — and flew in front of the unmanned drone in unsafe maneuvers, the U.S. military said. .
“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and engaged by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and total loss of the MQ-9,” US Air Force General James Hackers, who monitor US Air. force in the area, said in a statement.
“In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional action by the Russians nearly destroyed both planes.”
