US military drone crashes into Black Sea after Russian intercept
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - A U.S military MQ-9 surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets, in the first such incident since Russia's invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.
The Pentagon said that one of the Russian Su-27 jets struck the propeller of the drone, making it inoperable, while Russia's defense ministry blamed "sharp maneuvering" of the unmanned drone for the crash and said that its jets did not make contact.
Although no lives were lost, it was a reminder of the risk of direct confrontation between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, which Moscow invaded over a year ago and which Western allies have supported with intelligence and weapons.
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Army General Christopher Cavoli, briefed NATO allies about the incident, which was roundly condemned by the White House and the Pentagon -- where officials warned of the risk of escalation. The State Department summoned Russia's ambassador over the incident.
Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone. It said the Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the MQ-9 -- possibly trying to blind or damage it -- and flew in front of it in unsafe maneuvers.
After around 30 to 40 minutes, at 7:03 a.m. (0603 GMT), one of the jets then collided with the drone, causing it to crash, the U.S. military said.
"Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9," U.S. Air Force General James Hecker, who oversees the U.S. Air Force in the region, said in a statement.
"In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash."
But Russia's defense ministry denied the craft made contact. It said the U.S. drone went into the water as a result of "sharp maneuvering" and said the drone was flying with its transponder turned off.
"The Russian fighters did not use their onboard weapons, did not come into contact with the UAV, and returned safely to their home airfield," the ministry said.
The Black Sea lies between Europe and Asia and is bordered by countries including Ukraine. The Russian ministry said the drone had been detected over the sea near the Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow who researches hybrid and gray-zone threats at the American Enterprise Institute think-tank in Washington, said the incident was unprecedented in the Ukraine war so far.
"This is a very sensitive stage in this conflict because it really is the first direct contact that the public knows about between the West and Russia," Braw said.