The U.S. military said a Russian fighter plane clipped the propeller of one its spy drones and made it crash into the Black Sea on Tuesday in the first such direct encounter between the two world powers since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago.
The Russian defense ministry offered a different account and Moscow's ambassador to Washington said his country "views this incident as a provocation" involving a U.S. MQ-9 drone and Russian Su-27 fighter jet.
The United States, which has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, has not become directly engaged in the war but it does conduct regular surveillance flights in the region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday night that military commanders were unanimously in favor of defending the eastern frontline, including the ruined city of Bakhmut, which has been under siege by Russia for months.
"The main focus was on ... Bakhmut," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. "There was a clear position of the entire command: Strengthen this sector and destroy the occupiers to the maximum."
Zelenskyy dismissed three regional governors, including Luhansk in the east, Odesa on the Black Sea in the south and Khnelnitskiy region in the west, but no reason was given in the announcement by the government's parliamentary representative.
On the diplomatic and economic fronts, talks continued to extend a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports that is due to expire this week, the United Nations and Turkey said. The Kyiv government rejected a Russian push for a 60-day renewal, half the term of the previous renewal.
DRONE CRASH
Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone while flying in international air space. 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., one of the jets then collided with the drone, causing it to crash, the U.S. military said.
Russia has not recovered the drone and the jet was likely damaged, the Pentagon said.
"In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash," U.S. Air Force General James Hecker, who oversees the U.S. Air Force in the region, said in a statement.
Russia's defense ministry denied that its aircraft had come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which it said had crashed after "sharp maneuvering." It said the drone had been detected near the Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
"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 defense ministry said.
The accounts of the incident in the Black Sea, which is bordered by Russia and Ukraine among other countries, could not be independently verified.
"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," said Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SUMMONED
Russia's Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov was summoned by the U.S. State Department to discuss what happened over the Black Sea, said spokesperson Ned Price.
Antonov said his meeting was "constructive" and the issue of possible "consequences" for Moscow was not raised, RIA state news agency reported.
"As for us, we do not want any confrontation between the United States and Russia. We are in favor of building pragmatic relations for the benefit of the Russian and American peoples," Antonov was quoted as saying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine as a defensive one against what he sees as a hostile West bent on expanding into territories historically ruled by Russia.
Ukraine and its Western allies say Moscow is waging an unprovoked war of conquest that has destroyed Ukrainian cities, killed thousands of people and forced millions more to flee their homes.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
106 Comments
sakurasuki
Finally the real encounter! But NATO (No Action Talk Only) force become real coward to face man to man with actual superpower.
Yrral
This was an intentional act,not and accident,a retaliatory strike , should be the response
2020hindsights
Yrral
And boom, WW3...
Bronco
First of all, condolences to the drone's family. Where can we send flowers to?
Secondly,
No weapons fired.
No lives lost.
Check the rules for airspace right of way.
Drones must yield to aircraft that has humans on board.
Better than a machine crashes than a human killed.
ok1517
Bronco, yeah, sure, whatever you say!
The drone was over international waters!
Those 2 Russian jets wanted to show off.
Downing a drone - such a great success (/s)!
And where did you come up with that explanation:
"Drones must yield to aircraft that has humans on board."
How about installing some traffic lights, stop signs, and so on?
Besides, "humans" - still calling those Russian aggressors human?
@Sakurasaki
which superpower are you talking about?
By the way -Russians interfered with that drone - man against machine, I would say!
Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to the heroes!
Ukraine prevails!
Hercolobus
My father always said, get back to your own house and avoid problems. Capisce? Being realistic does not mean taking sides. Lots of people are hypnotized with the freedom and democracy, not knowing what is behind it.
diagonalslip
militarily surveilling the Black Sea I take it....
UChosePoorly
Diagonalslip, as one is free to do in or over international waters. Russia and China do this as well, and are allowed to come within 12 miles of other countries’ shores and are able to do so unimpeded and legally.
Righteous
Cool your jets.
ClippetyClop
Weird thing to always say. Did you vacation in war zones or something?
Kuku
A credible-reputable pro-ukranien source reports: The Russian TV channels have collected money that will be given as a prize to the pilot who shot down the US drone:)))) May be it's a joke:))) The same source: the cost of the drone is 56,5 mln dlr. Is it true?
Blacklabel
escalation by the White House and the Pentagon having a US drone in the Black Sea, right?
UChosePoorly
Blacklabel - these are international waters. Just like we can’t complain when the Russians or Chinese park themselves or fly close to our shores, they shouldn’t complain when we fly close to theirs.
Are you one of those Americans who complain when the Chinese and Russians fly or sail close to ours?
Superlib
The Trump supporters are already advocating the US giving up our rights in international airspace to the Russians.
Americans will fight you on this.
Cards fan
Wrong. International waters, and they've been there awhile. Like since the beginning of the war.
You can actually track the manned flights over the Black Sea.
fallaffel
It's an escalation to fly in international airspace? Only if you think Russia has the right to be the international airspace police.
In the Beningging
US really wanted to escalate those conflicts. in any reasons possible. they want to start something and bring the other with him. he was like "NATO! do something, this guy pinch me. i was just peeking"
same with NK= Japan/SK conflict. he purposely starts provocative "countermeasures" until someone, either NK or SK will make a mistake
Taiwan is not yet escalated since US is busy on those 2 boys.
you see. this is a psychological warfare tactics by US but using those "international rules" provocatively. until he accumulates enough countries to follow him or justify his future actions.
UChosePoorly
Blacklabel - the location where the drone was hit was much closer to Romanian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Turkish shores than Russian. Not even close to Russian territorial waters.
Do you complain when Chinese and Russians come close to our territorial waters?
Blacklabel
I do. Don’t you, except for this case?
UChosePoorly
No, absolutely not. International waters means international waters. I wouldn’t have a basis to complain.
Margarita
The Black Sea seems to be a bit far from the good ole "we're not a party to the conflict" US.
Blacklabel
So a guy walks back and forth for hours on the public street right in front of your house.
you open the door to go to the super and hit him. “It’s a public street” is his answer. and you are ok?
no. it’s why are you walking back and forth in front of my house so close that I can’t avoid you.
UChosePoorly
I mean, if you think 12 miles from shore is too short of a distance then that’s a different conversation, but those are the rules as understood by everyone.
Yrral
U, Russian put a no fly zone over Ukraine,the final GPS Coordinates should be made public,too add insult it was piss on by an Russian aircraft,this should warrant a retaliatory strike like you Chicken Hawk advocate
UChosePoorly
Blacklabel - it was the Russians who scrambled to intercept the US drone, again, not close to Russian territorial waters.
Blacklabel
56 million dollars down the toilet.
Thanks Joe! Well if they even told him what they were doing in the first place.
UChosePoorly
$56.5 million is for the package that includes 4 aircraft with sensor, ground control station, and satellite link.
Man, it’s like a full-time job fact checking these threads.
Blacklabel
It’s a provocation for them to even be in the area.
the US isn’t participating in this war, right?
Kuku
There was also a story in 2014. The destroyer Donald Cook entered the Black Sea. The crew of the Donald Cook was demoralized after the meeting with the bomber СУ-24, and a number of media outlets reported that 27 American sailors had written reports on their dismissal from the fleet. What scared the destroyer crew so much? Deja forgotten?
UChosePoorly
Blackabel - our NATO allies Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkiye, plus Ukraine, are all much closer to the site of the drone hit, than Russia is. We will continue to patrol there.
UChosePoorly
Why does almost every post of yours apologize for Russia while denigrating the US and our allies?
ClippetyClop
Peak @Black!
"I had no choice but to punch a man walking in the street"
I feel dumber for reading that analogy. How did you torture that one from your mind?
Desert Tortoise
There are three NATO allies bordering the Black Sea all of whom cooperate with each other and the other NATO members including the US. There is nothing even a little bit provocative about a U.S. recent drone in the area in which it was rammed.
The US military has operated in the Black Sea region since the end of WWII to reinforce its status as an international waterway. During the Cold War there were occasions where Soviet warships deliberately bumping those of the US Navy conducting freedom of navigation ops. This is a similar sort of thing.
Desert Tortoise
Recce drone, not recent drone. I hate autocorrect (auto misspell).
Blacklabel
Hit him with the door you just opened.
reading is fundamental.
2020hindsights
Blacklabel
Well, for this analogy to be accurate, the guy would be walking back and forth 12 miles from the front of my house.
And I say, fine.
Anonymous
Just following orders.
International waters.
The US has legitimate security and economic interests around the world to protect. (Now, old boy, that wasn’t too “extreme right-wing”-ish of me, was it?)
Blacklabel
So the drone was in international waters and it’s no problem? then so were the jets and it’s also no problem, right?
If so then both have the right to be there and no one is at fault then. Maybe both sides just stay in their own air space to prevent a recurrence?
Awa no Gaijin
The drone was in the area operating without transponders for the sole purposes of gathering intel to interfere with the Ukraine conflict.
So its hardly surprising the Russians repeatedly dumped fuel on it and downed it !
UChosePoorly
Blacklabel - International waters means precisely that. Every country on earth is free to send their military and civil aviation/aerospace there and that is not going to stop. Would you really have the US military stop patrolling international waters?
Righteous
If you poke at a hornet's nest you should be ready to get stung. No big deal.
Yrral
Cuba routinely run the coast guard out of their waters,US plane are not allowed to fly over Cuba, even during hurricane,when they may let hurricane hunters fly over to save a 300miles flight and gather data Google US Hurricane Hunters Fly Over Cuba
UChosePoorly
US should not be in Cuba’s territorial waters or over their airspace without permission, but any nation on earth can park 12 miles off of the coast of Cuba or the US. Easy.
fallaffel
Of course it's no problem, until one aircraft tries to down the other. Is it really that difficult to understand?
UChosePoorly
Blacklabel - it sounds like we just have a difference of opinion on this one, so I will let it rest, but there is no way that the US is going to cede our right to patrol anywhere we are legally allowed to. Maybe you can take up your disagreement with our policy with the Secs of State and Defense.
wallace
Turkey is a NATO member and borders the Black Sea which is enough reason to put a drone in the sky.
Awa no Gaijin
I agree .
As the US military has clearly stated they use the drones to gathering intel on the Ukraine conflict to help Ukraine and also spy on Russia.
The U.S is participating by supplies of weapons and leading NATO members to do the same whilst threatening Russia and making sanctions.
I seriously doubt the US doesn't or hasn't any military trained fighters on the ground pretending not to be.
I don't support either side in this ridiculous conflict !
wallace
The US Navy also passes through international waters much to the dismay of China. If these are not maintained China will believe it owns them.
wallace
NATO works together and Turkey is a member country. NATO missions can start from there. All of NATO needs protection which is why the treaty exists.
Russian frequently infringes the UK on its sea areas.
Eastman
first at all
drone had off transponders,did not communicate with russians.so was high risk for any planes in area incl civilian ones.so unresponsible manner for anyone in area,regardless if was international airspace or russian one.
drone flew over Black Sea,which lies not even near by USA,US saying was on spying mission and unarmed.in short-clear provocation.
imagine same thing will be done by russian drone,will fly from Cuba towards Florida.russians will say was in international air space,unarmed and was on spying mission.I believe US reaction will be no different than russian one.
USA likes to ignite conflicts faraway from own location but this time they did a big mistake.Russia is not Grenada,Afghanistan,Iraq,Libya or Syria.This is nuclear armed country figthning for its interests.
rule no 1-never underestimate Russia.or better-dont****with Russia
rebiata did great job.
protected own country,downed enemys advanced weaponry without big effort,no shot fired,no life lost.
any calling for sanctions against USA yet?
Awa no Gaijin
You aren't aware the drone was unmanned ?
Therefore not an encounter !
I disagree !
Repeatedly dumping fuel directly targeting the drone is firing a weapon.
Using their aircraft to bump into the drones propeller was a weapon.
For example people use cars as a weapon to drive into people yet they aren't designed to be a weapon.
Desert Tortoise
The bottom line here is that any nation my use international airspace for any reason they wish including intelligence collection. Most modern militaries do this including the Russians and very much the Chinese. The Soviets used to jam and spoof our navigation aids at sea, called “MEACONING” trying to fool us into flying to what we thought was our ship but was really their trawler hoping to run us out of fuel over water so we’d have to ditch or they’d shine lasers into cockpits to blind aircrew. The Russians have always been sob’s and guys like Black would have run like a scared dog instead of shrugging our shoulders and carrying on alongside our allies. You never let countries like Russia scare you.
RKL
Desert TortoiseToday 10:34 am JST
The bottom line here is that any nation my use international airspace for any reason they wish including intelligence collection.
Wrong.
Every nation is not allowed to use international airspace for nuclear testing.
Cards fan
Are you alleging the drone over the Black sea was conducting nuclear testing in international space?
Awa no Gaijin
No the loss of one unmanned drone doesn't justify a retaliatory strike that would invole more countries into a greater conflict.
If the crashed drone had caused a catastrophe then maybe retaliatory action.
The USA will find a way to retaliate with or without a strike anyway.
RKL
Cards fanToday 10:41 am JST
Are you alleging the drone over the Black sea was conducting nuclear testing in international space?
Is that your perception from reading my one sentence remark?
Desert Tortoise
Btw, don’t assume the MQ-9 was operating out of Incerlik. It could just as easily have been based in Romania.
Awa no Gaijin
No no no NO !
The drone was operating in international airspace with it's transponder purposefully switched off and therefore not adhering to legal regulations of international airspace and acting like an intruder !
Cards fan
Anything wrong with that?
Desert Tortoise
When we scrambled we had strict rules about our conduct of the intercept. You kept your distance and never did anything that could be considered dangerous. We were always professional and back then so we’re the Soviets.
The Soviets kept some sophisticated intelligence ships off west coast military bases 12-24 miles offshore. Just barely outside the territorial limit. Our standing orders were to stay well away, never fly over them or harass them or you risked losing your wings. Again, everyone was professional.
Flying close to Russia in international airspace, even with a recce platform does not justify harassing it and causing it to crash.
Awa no Gaijin
OMG ! facepalm ! Eyes rolling !
Obviously the drone was unmanned and the transponders turned off
So...how do you propose we track a manned aircraft that's unmanned without transponders ?
Very entertaining thankyou !
elephant200
Nobody dies ! The Soviet Union has shot down suspicious foreign spy planes over international air!
The Russians shall never apologize!
fallaffel
You are trying pretty hard to justify an illegal action taken in international airspace. It's not working...
Yrral
Russian did not have no choice after the US killed thousands of Russian in Ukraine,by assistance of GPS Coordinates given to Ukrainain,one day a mushroom cloud will go up up in the sky and the point of no return will happen
Cards fan
Then why bring up nuclear testing? Relevance?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Yawn. Detonate it next time and send a pilot down to the bottom of the sea.
Open-minded
I say send another drone in the same area. If the Russians do it again, then we know what really happened the first time. Next, send a third drone with an escort and see what the Russians do.
theFu
Russia acting like a 7 yr old who's been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Of course, the little boy lies about. That's standard Russian denial. Look for a few seconds of video to be released in a few days.
Unarmed drone just watching Ukraine in international airspace ... or over Ukraine with the approval of Ukraine.
Russian air superiority jets in international airspace doesn't want the US seeing their crimes. They wanted the drone out of the sky and wanted to say they didn't use any weapons. Look for spray oil release defensive systems to be added to all those drones to hinder rear bumps or flying too close.
What they didn't say is just as important as what they did say. We've learned to interpret between the lines the things that all govts state, right?
2020hindsights
Yrral
The US do not have troops in Ukraine.
Yrral
They are manning US Intel post in Germany,over seeing Himars firing position,relaying GPS to Ukraine,you can be a passive deadly war participant
Yrral
The Fu, Ukrainain do not have control of their airspace,how many leaders have flew to Kiev ,I will buy you a round trip their if you willing to take a chance
stormcrow
Obviously, the Russians would love to get their hands on this high-tech beauty and reverse engineer it. They have nothing like it to speak of.
Peter14
Well neither side is particularly happy when the other side gets close enough to see what they are doing. But taking actions that bring down aircraft, drone or otherwise in international airspace needs to be condemned by everyone. It inflames tensions and puts lives at risk. In this instance the life at risk was the pilot on the SU-27. A self inflicted risk perhaps but other than provoking the US to take retaliatory action, it accomplishes nothing but setting a precedent for the US to down a Russian drone in international airspace at some time in the future.
Strictly speaking the US followed international norms, while Russia went outside normal accepted and acceptable actions.
Russia is at fault here and like China releasing chaff into the engines of a recon plane in the South China sea, these despotic nations are slowly altering the rules and what is acceptable in international territory. They will of course object strenuously when it is done back to them but now they have no moral ground to stand on. They started it.
Mark
""As for us, we do not want any confrontation between the United States and Russia. We are in favor of building pragmatic relations for the benefit of the Russian and American peoples," Antonov was quoted as saying.""
I am SURE war mongers on both sides disagree with you sir.
Yrral
I do not see Russian American as enemies,most Americans do not even know their are Russian American living among us
Yrral
Give the last GPS Coordinates,it will verify who. was right, Russian fly east of Crimea toward Russia far from Ukraine
Sanjinosebleed
The fact that the yanks aren't complaining too loudly says it all They encroached on Russian airspace and lost a very expensive piece of kit as a result... lesson learnt...hopefully!
Awa no Gaijin
The MQ-9 Reaper drone isn't just a surveillance drone it's a highly advanced hunter killer predator drone capable of carrying a 3800lb payload with lazer guidance bombs and numerous types of missiles and other weaponry.
So again it's hardly surprising the Russian military did what they did.
Superlib
You just gave Americans the right to shoot down Russian assets over international airspace.
Noice. I support that.
elephant200
Israel airforce and navy sunk the USS Liberty in international waters in 1967, that was not an accidental one. They bombed and shooting at the ship for hours. Because that spyship was providing intelligence to Egypt.
Russia had been "Over Generous" the hostile actions of NATO using the international air and water. The NATO planes or drones were providing intelligences to Ukraine army!
Awa no Gaijin
No they did not !
because their highly advanced killer drones transponders were turned off !
Thus a threat was perceived.
However i agree the Russian actions were also bad
2020hindsights
Yrral
You say you live in America, Larry? English obviously a second language. Supports Putin. Yes, I believe it.
wtfjapan
Finally the real encounter! But NATO (No Action Talk Only) force become real coward to face man to man with actual superpower.
lmfao you think an unarmed US drone is a match for an armed Russia jet.
let try that again with a fully armed F22 raptor, see how brave those Russian pilot are then
Awa no Gaijin
Total nonsense !
Even the Russian new stealth PAK-DA makes the new us raider look slow and has a high tech drone that accompanies it whereas the raider doesn't !
2020hindsights
Awa no Gaijin
Obviously, the Russians would love to get their hands on this high-tech beauty and reverse engineer it. They have nothing like it to speak of.
And how many PAK-DAs does Russia have?
wtfjapan
So again it's hardly surprising the Russian military did what they did.
they did it in international airspace, just gave the US military to act the same way.
lets see how tough those Russian pilots are next time with F22 raptor escorts
Awa no Gaijin
They haven't officially announced it no !
But then again Putin hasn't officially announced war with Ukraine either.
Both the US and Russia have forces in Ukraine doing their so called special military operations.
Let's not be naive please
Cards fan
Lol Russian airspace over the western Black Sea? Absurd as per usual.
master
the NPCs won't be happy until there is a nuclear exchange.
Which we are getting closer and closer to.
Sven Asai
Well, I doubt that. I’m not the public and have no details from there, but there have already been news long before, that they had killed ground fighters who were for example volunteering US citizens or had some of them in custody, later released in those war prisoners exchanges with the Ukrainians. So that’s another direct contact, not the first, and even less , it’s not even a real contact, only contact with a military equipment , because those drones are unmanned as far as I know.
Awa no Gaijin
Someone please explain why the drone was operating in international airspace without the transponders on ?
Given the fact this highly advanced type of drone is being remotely operated or preprogrammed how do we rest assured who was operating it ?
japancat
Silly school boy war games !....Grow up ! There are NO winners in war....we all lose as a species. The human Psyche has not evolved in 1000s of years. Technologically... ' YES '.....Psychologically ' NO '.
deanzaZZR
The USA and its allies have been collecting military intelligence in these areas since before Putin made the dumb decision to invade Ukraine. This intelligence is shared with the Ukrainian for tactical actionable data to strike Russian military targets. Sorry, not sorry.
2020hindsights
Awa no Gaijin
Maybe because it's a spy drone? The Russians complaining about that are just making excuses.
Yrral
Everyone should be given 100 GPS Coordinates,that either cannot defend and the one left standing wins
Awa no Gaijin
Iam sorry but i have to disagree as those drones and military aircraft travel at a higher altitude than civilian ones
Yrral
Ukraine has become a nuisance to the US,a hard headed President,that will make his last stand in Bakhmut, against the advice of his benefactor, Russian generally know Ukrainain, because they lived under Russian authority most of their lives,inherit their corrupt ways,
kurisupisu
The US was testing Russia and it got a respons!
Im not surprised at all
Awa no Gaijin
Exactly !
However i already said that earlier.
So it's more than just because its a spy drone , and it's not just a spy drone either as i also have said earlier.
Therefore the reasons for the transponders to be off isn't to hide its location
Obviously !
Awa no Gaijin
That's irrelevant !
The level of highly advanced technological capabilities is the debated question and not the inventory.
I think it is always extremely foolish to underestimate an enemy or adversary and Russia tech doesn't appear to be underdeveloped does it !
Mr Kipling
So Russia knocked down a US spy drone? A drone providing the Ukrainians with targeting info or other military intelligence. They actually warned this would happen back in January.
Raw Beer
Did the Russians know it was just a spy drone, and not an armed one like the one that killed 7 civilians in Somalia last January.
Awa no Gaijin
Perhaps the Russian pilots will be accompanied by their own drones next time.
The US drone got swatted out of the sky like a mosquito after the jets took turns pissing on it.
Hardly a show of strength by the US military and quite embarrassing i must say !
TokyoLiving
In addition to blowing up the Russian gas pipeline, good old US want to spy with its drones..
Well done Russia, now there are two powers, Russia and China that do not bow to the geopolitic whims of US..
Multipolar world here we go!!!!...
Yrral
Tokyo,you live at the mercy of the US,only stand between Japan demise is the US, Japanese do not defend the Tsargu straits,with bisect Hokkaido and the main island,one day you will eat everything you said about America
wallace
Next time, borrow a Chinese balloon to get away with it.