In the video taken from the drone, the Russian jet can be seen dumping fuel while moving towards the MQ-9 and finally collides with it.
The feed is interrupted for a while and the damaged propeller of the drone can be seen when it resumes.
BREAKING: The DoD on Tuesday released footage of a Russian Su-27 colliding with a US MQ-9 over the Black Sea. You can see… https://t.co/cXJFaMBWxN
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) 1678960269000
The US military said on Tuesday that a Russian Su-27 jet fighter collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, prompting the US military to shoot down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters.
Tuesday’s crash, which Washington blamed on reckless and unprofessional Russian conduct, further escalated tensions between Moscow and Western allies, already rising over the Ukraine conflict.
The drone incident was the first known direct US-Russia encounter since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and has highlighted the fractious state of relations between the world’s major nuclear powers.
Russia’s defense ministry said it grounded the jets after detecting a US drone over the Black Sea, but denied causing the crash, saying the plane had lost control.
The Pentagon said the drone was on a routine mission when it was intercepted in a “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner” and White House national security spokesman John Kirby refuted Russia’s denial.
Russian talks on the Black Sea are commonplace, Kirby said, but this one in particular was “unsafe and unprofessional” and “reckless”.
Ukraine said the incident was “provoked by Russia” and cautioned that it indicated President Vladimir Putin’s aim to “expand the conflict”.
(with inputs from agencies)
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