What happened?
A military incident over the Black Sea has sparked tensions between the US and Russia. An unmanned U.S. military drone collided with a Russian fighter jet over international waters on Tuesday, the U.S. military said. US forces should have crashed the drone after the collision.
The US military said two Russian fighter jets intercepted the US MQ-9 Reaper drone flying in international airspace over the Black Sea.
One of the fighter jets hit the propeller of the US drone and actually flew into the drone. After that it was no longer maneuverable, so US forces had to take it out of the air and drop it into the sea. The drone was completely lost in the crash. Russia dismisses the account and denies any collision took place.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said the incident may also have caused damage to the Russian fighter jet. The two Russian jets remained near the US drone for about 30 to 40 minutes before the collision occurred. The U.S. military said Russian airmen dumped fuel on the U.S. drone before the collision and flew in front of it several times — in a reckless, environmentally unfriendly and unprofessional manner. This is evidence of a “lack of competence”.
What is the US saying about this?
The Americans criticized Russia in particular for the fact that the jet had apparently behaved “unsafely and unprofessionally” and was therefore responsible for the incident. At the same time, the government made every effort not to end up in a spiral of escalation.
John Kirby, director of communications for the National Security Council, stressed that such interception maneuvers are not uncommon in themselves. However, this case is notable for the unsafe and unprofessional approach of the Russian side, which led to the complete loss of the drone. US President Joe Biden was notified of the incident.
Kirby also warned Russia not to let the incident escalate. He warned the geopolitical opponent that such inappropriate behavior by Russian pilots could lead to “misjudgments” between the two countries’ armed forces. Referring to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, he said: “We don’t want this war to escalate beyond what it has already done to the Ukrainian people.”
What does Russia say about this?
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied any responsibility regarding the crash. The drone was not shot at or otherwise attacked, according to a statement released by the state agency TASS.
A Russian Air Force alert team was deployed to identify an unknown intruder over the Black Sea. During a sharp evasive manoeuvre, the drone quickly lost altitude and fell into the sea, the Russian military said. “The Russian fighter jets did not use any weapons on board, did not come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle and returned safely to their home airport.”
The Russian ambassador to Washington later made clear accusations against the United States. It is clear what the US wants to achieve with the drones near Russia and Ukraine: “What are you doing thousands of miles away from the United States? The answer is obvious: they collect intelligence that will later be used by the Kiev regime. used to attack our forces and territory,” said Anatoly Antonov.
Russia assumes that the US would now step back and “stop operations near the Russian borders”.
What is the Reaper drone used for?
The MQ-9 Reaper drone is mainly used for reconnaissance, but can also perform precision strikes. It can stay in the air for a long time and has sensors that cover a large area. The drone is controlled remotely.
It was conducting a routine operation in international airspace “when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in the crash and complete loss of the MQ-9 aircraft,” said James Hecker, commander of the United States Air Force Europe and Africa. . “U.S. and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we urge Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely.”
Are there recordings?
When asked if there was video footage of the incident and if it could be made public, Pentagon spokesman Ryder pointed out that a declassification process would need to be followed to declassify such footage. The Ministry will inform the public about this.
Are there similar incidents?
Tuesday’s incident is not the first of its kind. It is one in a series of dangerous actions by Russian pilots against US and allied aircraft in international airspace, including over the Black Sea, the US military said.
However, there is no reason for the US to withdraw from the airspace of this region. “Because that’s not going to happen,” Kirby pointed out. “We will continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters. The Black Sea does not belong to a single nation.”
(dab/con/sda)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
