A stern message to her Foreign Office Russia handed over by the ambassador USA in Moscow after the crash of an American drone in Black Seaand US officials briefed allies and partners on the incident.

The United States has summoned the Russian ambassador to Washington for an explanation, a State Department spokesman said. Ned Price, The US insists its MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in the Black Sea this morning after colliding with a Russian fighter jet.

Washington: Russian plane collided with US drone

According to Washington, the Russian fighter Su-27 reportedly hit his propeller American reconnaissance drone Reapercausing him to crash into Black Seaclosely watched area NATO since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. The incident was condemned as “reckless» US military.

“Our MQ-9 drone was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in the crash and total loss of the MQ-9,” said the US Air Force Wing Commander. James Hecker.

Moscow denies

In the first reaction, Ministry of Defense of Russia noted that the American The UAV was seen on the morning of March 14 flying near Crimean peninsula towards the border of the Russian Federation. He also claimed that Russian fighters they didn’t use ammunition what brought and they did not make contact with the American drone. Moscow added that An American drone crashed into the sea as a result of abrupt maneuvers.

#VIOLATION Russian plane collides with American drone over Black Sea: US military pic.twitter.com/IXXSV45ppC

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 14, 2023

USA insist

“Due to the damage it received, we had no choice but to smash it into the Black Sea,” US Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters, noting that the UAV lost its flying qualities as a result of the impact.

A Pentagon spokesman did not specify whether the MQ-9 Reaper that crashed in the Black Sea was armed.

Biden was briefed

American President Joe Biden the incident has already been informed, said a spokesman for the White House Security Council. John Kirby. According to Kirby, the Russian fighter’s movements in this particular case were “dangerous”, “unprofessional” and “reckless”.

NATO allies were reportedly briefed on the incident by a US general, Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe (SACEUR). Christopher Cavoli.

Kirby claims that the downed American drone was in international airspace at the time of the strike. The representative of the White House Security Council emphasizes that the United States, however, will continue to fly over the Black Sea.

According to what the American side complained about, two Russian Su-27 aircraft moved close to the American drone, dumping fuel and making dangerous maneuvers in front of it, and one of them ended up colliding with it. According to what Reuters reports, the propeller was wounded on the American MQ-9.

The US military says it is monitoring the behavior of Russian pilots who continue to fly dangerously close to US and NATO aircraft.

According to Reuters, AFP