US military officials have released a video that shows a Russian fighter aircraft dangerously intercepting its drone over the Black Sea.
The US said on Tuesday that a Russian Su-27 fighter plane hit one of its Reaper drones as the American operators were conducting a reconnaissance and surveillance operation, prompting them to destroy it in international waters, according to Al Jazeera.
Russia denies intentionally downing the MQ-9 drone.
US European Command's declassified 42-second footage shows the Su-27 fighter aircraft nearing the MQ-9 drone's rear and pouring fuel near it in an obvious effort to obscure its optical devices.
It published the video on Twitter with the caption: "VIDEO: Two #Russian Su-27s conducted an unsafe & unprofessional intercept w/a @usairforce intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 operating w/i international airspace over the #BlackSea March 14."
VIDEO: Two #Russian Su-27s conducted an unsafe & unprofessional intercept w/a @usairforce intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 operating w/i international airspace over the #BlackSea March 14. https://t.co/gMbKYNtIeQ @HQUSAFEAFAF @DeptofDefense @NATO pic.twitter.com/LB3BzqkBpY
— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) March 16, 2023
The US military stated the Russian jet's impact with the drone caused the video feed to be lost following another Russian maneuver. The video finishes with shots of the drone's broken propeller, which the US military claims rendered the aircraft unusable as a consequence of the impact.
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Drone Incident Sparks Concerns of US-Russia Confrontation
Russia claims the MQ-9 drone was coming close to its borders, but the footage just shows sea and clouds.
US officials maintain that the drone was flying over foreign territory. But, Russia tried to insinuate on Tuesday that it had enforced a unilateral no-fly zone over the territory as part of its invasion of Ukraine, per the BBC.
Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov stated the US military drone had "boundaries of the temporary airspace" rule created for Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.
The drone event was the first incident since the Cold War that a US aircraft went down during such an encounter, sparking worries it may draw the United States and Russia closer to a direct clash.
Russia and NATO member nations frequently intercept one other's airplanes, per AP News.
Since Russia unlawfully occupied the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, Moscow has raised recurring concerns over US surveillance missions in the area.
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