The US Army European Command said on the 14th local time that two Russian SU-27 aircraft intercepted a US Air Force Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) MQ-9 drone operating in international airspace over the Black Sea in an unsafe manner.
The European Command explained that an SU-27 refueled the MQ-9 several times at 7:03 am on the same day and flew violently in front of it.
The SU-27 is one of the main types of fighters operated by the Russian Air Force, and the MQ-9 is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of reconnaissance and attack.
The Associated Press reported that this was the first time since the Cold War that a US military aircraft had been shot down in a physical confrontation, although US and Russian military aircraft have often intercepted each other’s military aircraft in flight close to their sky.
The US government has criticized Russia’s actions and said it will continue such flights in international airspace.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the drone violated the airspace border temporarily established for a special military operation for the war in Ukraine, lost control and fell into the water while falling.
He said the Russian plane did not use weapons or engage with the drone, and that the Russian fighter returned safely to the airport.
