:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/OAPKXBAYJNBS3FBKV2EIRDFBSY.jpg "A Russian plane attacked an American drone that was patrolling the international waters of the Black Sea 1")
A Russian plane attacked a US drone that was patrolling international waters in the Black Sea, US military officials said.
“Two Russian Su-27 aircraft today performed a dangerous and unprofessional interception with a United States Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance MQ-9 drone operating in international airspace over the Black Sea,” the United States European Union Command (USEUCOM) said.
“Approximately 7:03 a.m. (CET), one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft hit the MQ-9’s propeller, causing US forces to shoot down the MQ-9 in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s drained fuel and flew past the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unfriendly and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence as well as a lack of safety and professionalism.”
“Our MQ-9 aircraft was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and struck by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and total loss of the MQ-9,” said General James B. Hecker, Commander of the United States Air Force. Forces in Europe and Africa. “Actually, this dangerous and unprofessional act of the Russians almost caused the crash of the two planes”.
“U.S. and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we ask Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” Hecker added.
In this direction, Washington denounced “a pattern of dangerous actions” by Russian pilotsat a particularly delicate time due to the escalation of tensions around Ukraine.
In fact, US forces fear a “miscalculation” and an “unintended escalation” of such tensions.
The United States has condemned the “reckless” collision of a Russian fighter jet with one of its reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea. Russian air interceptions in the region are frequent, but this “is notable for how dangerous and unprofessional it was, in fact it was reckless”the spokesman for the United States National Security Council told reporters, John Kirby.
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has repeatedly raised concerns about US intelligence flights near the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
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