Russia and Ukraine: The US drone accident is a “risky moment”
- Paul Adams
- Diplomatic Correspondent – BBC
image copyright Getty Images
Reaper drones are aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance
It appears that the confrontation between the two Russian fighter planes and the American march, which resulted in American drone crashes over the Black Seais one of the most important publicly acknowledged confrontations between the United States and Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.
Meanwhile, the accident raises a lot of questions, and represents a perilous moment.
And John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, says that there have been other interceptions that have taken place “during the past weeks,” but the latest incident was different.
Could that be an accident?
“Based on what happened from the Russian aircraft, it is clear that the aircraft were unprotected and unprofessional,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder said of the incident, adding, “I think the actions speak for themselves.”
Does the behavior of the Russian pilots – after allegedly dropping fuel in the path of the US drone and then crashing into it – represent a significant escalation?
According to the Pentagon, the time period for the incident lasted between 30-40 minutes.
During that time, General Ryder said, there was no direct contact between the Russian military and its American counterpart.
US officials say they believe the Russian Su-27s “likely” sustained some damage, indicating the collision may not have been intentional.
“I know the State Department raises our concerns about the incident, directly about the Russian government,” General Ryder adds.
But what does the incident mean for the future of US drone operations over the Black Sea, and the surveillance that the US provides to Ukraine?
“If Russia’s message is to prevent us from flying or operating in international airspace over the Black Sea, that message will fail, because that won’t happen,” John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, told Voice of America.
It is not surprising that Russia obstructs the tasks of Ukraine’s allies who help it, as much as possible, and therefore Washington focuses on what happened to the drone.
After the impact, the American drone plunged into the Black Sea, and General Ryder did not say where it fell or if the Russian Navy attempted to recover it.
It seems that the audio recordings circulated on social media refer to a recovery process for the plane, which Russia is preparing for, but this has not been confirmed.
Clearly, Washington would not be happy if sensitive drone surveillance technology fell into Russian hands.
And for Joe Biden, who insists on Ukraine’s support “for as long as it needs,” this is a delicate moment.
Not only are Western weapons helping Ukraine to withstand the Russian invasion, there is also massive intelligence being provided to Ukraine on Russian military operations, including the movement of ships in the Black Sea and missile launches at targets all over Ukraine.
Kiev relies heavily on the information it receives continuously to use it to defend critical infrastructure and plan its offensive operations.
For a variety of reasons, U.S. officials will not be tempted to add additional measures in surveillance operations right now, if any at all.
Washington wants to continue its operations to help Ukraine, but it is keen to avoid the use of force, while at the same time risking a direct confrontation with Moscow.