Two Russian warplanes seriously damaged a US Reaper drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday. The Americans then had to let the plane crash into the water. That says the US Department of Defense according to international news agencies. It would be the first time since the Cold War that a US plane crashed at the hands of Russia.
The US speaks of a “brutal violation of international law”. The unarmed surveillance drone with a wingspan of 20 meters flew through international airspace, said Air Force General James Hecker, who commands US military activities in the region. The US has almost permanent observation aircraft and drones flying around the region. They can spy on large areas deep into Russia and Ukraine.
The Russian aircraft would have first discharged fuel over the drone and then damaged a propeller of the drone. The US was forced to crash the plane into the sea. As a rule, the US tries to prevent its military technology from falling into the hands of other states. In the Black Sea, where the Reaper crashed, many Russian naval ships sail around. The Pentagon said Tuesday evening that the downed drone had not yet been recovered.
Dangerous flight behaviour
According to the Defense Ministry, the Russian pilots behaved “dangerously and unprofessionally” around the drone. One of the two Russian fighter planes also almost crashed accidentally during the interception. According to Washington, the interception of the drone fits into a pattern of dangerous flying behavior by Russian pilots near American and NATO aircraft.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Washington will contact the Kremlin to express concerns about the incident, according to Reuters news agency. Meanwhile, the White House has summoned the Russian ambassador. Kirby also stressed that the United States does not need permission from Russia to fly over the Black Sea.
The Russian Defense Ministry says it is not responsible for the damage to the Reaper. The US drone would have maneuvered sharply and therefore “crashed after an encounter with Russian fighter jets near the Russian border”. Russia also says it has not used any weapons.
The Kremlin has long been critical of the United States’ surveillance patrols near the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. According to the Kremlin, the US and NATO have become participants in the war between Russia and Ukraine because they share intelligence with Kyiv.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of March 15, 2023