A US “Reaper” drone crashed into the Black Sea after colliding with a Russian fighter plane.
The US Air Force espionage drone was caught by two Russian Su-27 aircraft before one of them struck the drone’s propeller shortly after 7 a.m., bringing it to a stop in international seas.
The fighter jets repeatedly sprayed the MQ-9 with fuel before the accident and flew dangerously close to it, according to a statement from the US military.
‘This incident follows a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with US and Allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea,’ it continued. ‘These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.’
The incident comes amid soaring Russian-US tensions over the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident.
While there have been other such intercepts, Kirby said this one was ‘unique’ in that it caused the downing of a US aircraft.
He added: ‘The State Department will be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts, and expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept.’
NATO’s top military commander said allies have been also been briefed.
US Air Force General James Hecker, who overseas the US Air Force in the region, said: ‘Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.
‘In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.
‘US and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely.’
The Black Sea lies between Europe and Asia and is bordered by Russia and Ukraine among other countries.