US military reports collision between US Reaper drone and Russian fighter jet over Black Sea
According to the US military, a collision took place between a Russian Su-27 fighter jet and a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. The incident reportedly occurred in international airspace.
US Air Force General James Hecker, who is responsible for overseeing the US Air Force in the region, issued a statement on Tuesday indicating that a Russian warplane had collided with a US MQ-9 drone earlier that day. He stated that the American drone was carrying out regular operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by the Russian aircraft, resulting in the drone being completely destroyed. The collision, which took place at 7:03 a.m. CET (6:03 am GMT), occurred when the propeller of the drone was struck by the Russian fighter jet.
General Hecker accused the Russian pilots of engaging in dangerous behavior and stated that their actions almost resulted in a catastrophic accident. He noted that this incident is part of a broader pattern of reckless behavior by Russian pilots in international airspace.
It remains unclear why the US drone was operating in that particular area at the time of the incident. According to a report that cited the US European Command, the Su-27s flew in front of the American drone after dumping fuel, which may indicate a lack of competence.
The MQ-9 Reaper drone, which was destroyed in the collision, is a remotely-piloted aircraft primarily utilized by the US Air Force for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It is also capable of carrying out precision-guided missile and bomb strikes.
White House spokesperson John Kirby announced that the State Department will communicate directly with their Russian counterparts to express concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional intercept of the Russian Su-27 fighter jet colliding with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. Kirby further mentioned that the incident was notable because it caused the downing of an American aircraft, and although the Russians had previously intercepted drones, this one was unique in that regard.
Russia refutes allegations of downing a US drone
According to AFP, Russia has denied causing the crash of the US drone despite accusations from the US. The Russian defense ministry in Moscow stated that it had spotted an American MQ-9 drone “over the waters of the Black Sea in the area of the Crimean peninsula” flying “towards the Russian state border”. The ministry added that the drone was flying with its “transponders turned off” and fighter jets were scrambled “to identify” it. The ministry further mentioned that due to sharp maneuvering around 0930 MSK (0630 GMT), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle entered an uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude, ultimately colliding with the surface of the water.
According to AFP, Russia denied the accusation made by the US that it caused the crash of an American MQ-9 drone. The Russian defense ministry stated that it detected the drone flying towards the Russian state border with its transponders turned off, and scrambled fighter jets to identify it. The ministry added that the drone entered an uncontrolled flight, lost altitude, and collided with the water after sharp maneuvering, but the Russian fighters did not use their weapons nor contact the UAV, and safely returned to their home airfield. Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United States, stated on Tuesday, after being summoned by the US State Department, that Moscow viewed the incident as a provocation. Russia denied that the fighter jet downed the US drone.
