A Russian fighter jet collided with a US Reaper surveillance drone on Tuesday over the Black Sea in international airspace, according to the US European Command.
In a press release, the US Air Force said that at 2 a.m. Eastern time (7 a.m. local time) a Russian Su-27 plane struck the propeller of the American MQ-9 aircraft, which is carrying out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It was accompanied by a second Su-27 which was not involved in the collision but which US officials said was also involved in “dangerous” driving.
“Several times before the collision, the Su-27s spilled fuel and flew past the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unfriendly and unprofessional manner,” the US statement said.
“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being dangerous and unprofessional. »
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US operators were forced to bring down the drone in international waters, “resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9”, said US Air Force General James B. Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe and Africa.
“In fact, this dangerous and unprofessional act by the Russians almost caused the two planes to crash. »
The Russian Ministry of Defense denied the collision. He said the US drone was flying over the Black Sea near Crimea and entered the area Russia has declared off-limits as part of its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine. This prompted the army to send jets to intercept it, according to the ministry.
“Following a brutal maneuver, the MQ-9 drone took an uncontrollable flight with a loss of altitude and crashed into the water,” he said. “The Russian fighters did not use their weapons or ram the unmanned aerial vehicle, and they returned safely to their base. »
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The incident would be the first time since 1960 that a US plane was shot down after an encounter with a Russian warplane.
The US says the intercept is the latest in a series of “dangerous actions” by Russian pilots interacting with US and allied aircraft over international airspace. The United States warns that the behavior is aggressive and “could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation”.
“American and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” Hecker added.
The United States added that its air forces in Europe regularly fly over sovereign territory and in international airspace.
State Department spokesman Ned Price called the incident a “brazen violation of international law” and said the United States had summoned the Russian ambassador to protest.
Reuters reported that the ambassador, Anatoly Antonov, called the drone’s appearance over the Black Sea a “provocation” in remarks to the Russian state news agency RIA following his meeting at the US State Department.
“We view this incident as a provocation,” Antonov said, adding that the talks with the United States were “constructive.”
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Brig. Patrick Ryder, press secretary for the Ministry of Defense, said that while interceptions in international airspace are not unusual, with planes flying close together to see what is there, the incident with Russian fighter jets was “rare” and “unfortunate”. He said the US State Department was raising concerns about the incident directly with the Russian government.
According to Ryder, the American drone was on a mission when the incident occurred, with Russian planes flying close to the MQ-9 for about 30 to 40 minutes before the collision just after 7 a.m. local time, which put it at risk. led to being “in a situation where it was impossible to fly.
He said there was no communication between the United States and Russia before the collision and the plane was “well clear” of any Ukrainian territory. The United States has yet to recover the plane, Ryder said, and he did not say whether or not it was armed.
“(The jet) basically hit the MQ-9,” he said. “The actions speak for themselves. »
– with files from Reuters and The Associated Press.
