New York, USA (CNN) — A Russian fighter shot down a US Air Force drone over the Black Sea, Tuesday, following damaging the propeller of the US MQ-9 Reaper, the US military reported.
A statement issued by the US European Command said that the Reaper drone and two Russian Su-27 planes were flying over international waters over the Black Sea on Tuesday, when one of the Russian planes deliberately flew in front of the plane and dumped fuel on it several times, then the plane hit the plane’s propeller. Unmanned aerial vehicle, prompting US forces to shoot down the MQ-9 in international waters.
The incident marks the first time that Russian and US military aircraft have come into direct physical contact since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago, and is likely to increase tensions between the two countries, with the US describing Russia’s actions as “reckless and unprofessional”.
The Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said that Russia does not want a “confrontation” with the United States, in a statement following he was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the downing of the drone.
