A Russian jet harassed and then collided with an American drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, US European Command said, forcing the US to bring down the MQ-9 Reaper drone in international waters.
US Air Force General James B. Hecker, Commander, said, “Our MQ-9 aircraft was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in the crash and total loss of the MQ-9.” US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa. “In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians caused both aircraft to crash.”
Two Russian Su-27 jets tracked the US surveillance drone as it was flying in international airspace over the Black Sea, which borders Turkey, Ukraine and Russia, among other countries. According to a statement from the US European Command, prior to the collision, the jets “dumped fuel and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner.”
Around 7 am, a jet struck the drone’s propeller, forcing the US to bring it down.
The European Command statement said the incident “demonstrates a lack of competence” on the part of the Russians, in addition to being “unsafe and unprofessional” and a pattern of dangerous behavior by Russian pilots when interacting with US-friendly aircraft. is part of.
“US and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace, and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” Hecker said.
The US said it regularly flies aircraft in both sovereign and international airspace over Europe in accordance with international law and to “strengthen collective European defense and security” and “to support allied, partner and US national objectives”. Blows. ,
