The Russian military said two of its fighters intercepted a US drone in the Black Sea on Tuesday but denied hitting it and causing it to go down, contrary to Washington’s claim.
“After a brutal maneuver (…) the MQ-9 drone began an uncontrolled flight, with loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated, stating that the two fighters had not fired or had had “contact” with the drone.
Contrary to that version, the White House announced an act of “recklessness” amid fears of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
“Our MQ-9 drone was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and struck by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and the total loss of the MQ-9,” General James Hecker said in a statement. , commander of the US Air Force in Europe, confirming information previously revealed by AFP, which reported an incident with a Reaper in the Black Sea.
It is the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory began, on February 24, 2022, that a NATO country -which supports Kiev- admits to having lost a device operated by itself in this region.
“This is a dangerous and unprofessional act on the part of the Russians,” the general stressed, adding that “United States and allied drones will continue to operate in international airspace.” In addition, he called on the Russians to “behave safely and professionally.”
“Aggressive actions by Russian crews could lead to miscalculation and inadvertent escalation,” the US military insisted in the same statement.
The collision appears to have occurred in the airspace over the Ukrainian city of Odessa, according to the US Naval Institute.
According to the FlightRadar24 website, a P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance plane was circling off the coast of Romania after taking off from the Sigonella airbase in Italy.
A White House spokesman, John Kirby, denounced “recklessness” on the part of the Russians, noting that while Russian planes have already intercepted US drones on other occasions, this incident was “unique” because it led to the loss of the Reaper.
Interactions in the Black Sea
The Black Sea is an area closely monitored by NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine. Its sky is often the theater of interactions between drones and aircraft from NATO countries and the Russian armed forces.
With the current crisis, there is an increase in reconnaissance activities towards Crimea “and, depending on the situation, this can make the Russians angry. And more considering that there were western reconnaissance activities […] for Ukraine,” said a French expert, who requested anonymity.
Ukraine’s Western allies, who have supplied weapons to kyiv since the conflict began, have not been directly involved on Ukrainian soil, fearing an escalation with Russia.
“It is possible that diplomatic channels smooth over what happened” given the highly inflammable situation with Russia, a Western military source told AFP.
The Reaper drone, manufactured by the American company General Atomics, is a remotely piloted aircraft of the MALE type, -medium altitude and long range.
The device is equipped with ultramodern sensors to be able to carry out surveillance operations at a cruising speed of 335km/h.
With a wingspan of 20 meters, it has a range of more than 24 hours of flight. It can also carry various types of weapons, such as laser- or GPS-guided bombs or Hellfire missiles. The crew on the ground is made up of four people.
In addition to the United States, several European militaries have Reaper drones, including the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Spain.