US drone: Russian jet forces down MQ-9 Reaper over Black Sea

A US military drone was forced down by a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea on 9 June. A statement by US European Command stated that two Russian jets and the MQ-9 Reaper drone were operating over international waters when one of the Russian planes flew in front of and dumped fuel on the drone several times. The plane then hit the drone’s propeller, leading to its crash. The incident is the first time that Russian and US military aircraft have made physical contact since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago. US calls the actions “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional.” The US has been operating Reaper drones over the Black Sea since 2014, using them to monitor the area.

The Russian Defense Ministry denied contact with the drone, stating that it had flown with transponders turned off, violating airspace regulations. Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the Russian planes had been circling the drone for 30 to 40 minutes before the contact. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, but the Defense Department has not yet spoken with Russian authorities about it.

Tensions between Russia and the US have been increasing recently, with the EU also becoming involved in the disagreements. On Monday, the EU announced it would not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea without Ukraine’s approval, leading to accusations of “Russophobia” in the country. Russia’s withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty on 18 May, was met with criticism from both the US and UK, with a statement being issued that Russia had “undermined” trust in the treaty, which is intended to build confidence between the countries through verified arms reduction measures.



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