The US Army European Command said on the 14th local time that two Russian SU-27 planes intercepted the US Air Force’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) drone MQ-9 operating in international airspace over the Black Sea in an unsafe manner.
The European Command explained that at 7:03 am on the same day, a SU-27 sprayed fuel on the MQ-9 several times and flew in a violent manner in front of it. I did.
The SU-27 is one of the main fighter types operated by the Russian Air Force, and the MQ-9 is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of both reconnaissance and attack.
The Associated Press reported that it was the first time since the Cold War that a US military plane had been shot down in a physical clash, although US and Russian military aircraft have often intercepted each other’s military aircraft flying close to their skies.
The US government has criticized Russia’s actions and said it will continue such flights in international airspace.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said the drone violated an airspace boundary temporarily established for a special military operation for the war in Ukraine, lost control and crashed into the water while descending.
It said the Russian aircraft did not use weapons or make contact with the drone, and the Russian fighter returned safely to the airfield.