US drone crashes in Black Sea after collision with Russian fighter jet, increasing risk of direct collision

Washington: The US military says that a Russian fighter jet collided with an American drone, causing the American unmanned aircraft to crash into the Black Sea. The incident highlights the growing risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and the US over the war in Ukraine. The US says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets attempted to intercept it.

Russia said the drone crashed while moving at high speed and denied that the two planes had touched it. The Russian Defense Ministry added that the MQ-9 Reaper drone was flying with its transponders turned off. Transponders are communication devices that allow aircraft to be tracked. Reaper drones have a wingspan of 20m (66 ft) and are used as surveillance aircraft.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Pentagon said, “Two Russian Su-27 aircraft conducted an unsafe and unprofessional interference with the flight of an unmanned MQ-9 aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance by the US Air Force.” , which was operating in international airspace over the Black Sea.”

“Before hitting the US drone, the Russian Su-27 fighter jet flew in a reckless and unprofessional manner and refueled the drone several times so that its cameras stopped working,” the statement added. In addition to being unsafe and unprofessional, the incident also demonstrates the lack of competence of Russian aircraft, the statement said.