As Russians and Americans scramble to find the wreckage of a US drone that crashed into the Black Sea after it was intercepted by Russian planes, Moscow has rushed to honor the memory of the Sukhoi pilots involved in the incident.

According to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu personally awarded two Russian pilots on the grounds that they prevented entry into Russian airspace (referring to the area over the Russian-held Ukrainian peninsula). Crimea) of an American drone.

The Russian side claims that the American MQ-9 Reaper entered with closed transponders into the airspace that Russia (arbitrarily) restricted for flights in connection with the invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sukhoi, which rose to intercept it, did not attack the MQ-9, did not use airborne weapons, and returned safely to the airfield. However, a video released by Washington on Thursday shows a Russian fighter jet deliberately leaking fuel onto a US drone.

In addition, US authorities said the drone went down when the Russian fighter jet touched the rear propeller of the MQ-9 Reaper.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Washington does not take into account the fact that after the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine, there are restrictions on flights in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. He also pointed out that such US actions look like a provocation aimed at escalating tensions. For the Russian minister, the US constantly declares that it is a responsible power interested in strategic stability, but their statements contradict reality.

Source: RIA Novosti, Reuters.