The Pentagon released a 42-second video showing what it claims to be a Russian Su-27 aircraft dumping fuel on a US Air Force MQ-9 drone in international airspace over the Black Sea, according to a report by AP on Thursday, March 16.
The video footage also shows the Russian fighter clipping the drone's propeller, damaging one blade. The fuel dumping was reported to be an attempt to blind the drone's optical instruments and drive it out of the area.
A US Navy Martin UAV drone hovers mid-air beneath a US Navy SH-60S Seahawk helicopter, while Bahraini Coast Guard ship Deraa 13 (L), US Coast Guard cutter Maui (C), and Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) Abdulrahman Al Fadhel (R) operate on Gulf waters during joint naval exercise between US 5th Fleet Command and Bahraini forces, on October 26, 2021.
Ditched the MQ-9 Reaper
The US military said that it had to ditch the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The footage was only 42 seconds long and did not show events before or after the fuel-dumping confrontation. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley have contacted their Russian counterparts about the incident following the encounter.
This was the first conversation between the two countries' top defense and military leaders since October, according to AP.
The calls with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov highlighted the seriousness of the incident.
The MQ-9 Reaper is capable of carrying munitions, but the Pentagon has not confirmed whether the drone was armed. The US Air Forces-Europe confirmed that the crashed drone had not been recovered and neither had Russia.
Russian officials have also announced their intention to salvage pieces of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.
Although US officials kept the option of trying to recover pieces of the fallen drone open, they stated that they were likely not going to go after the wreckage because they were sure Russia would not recover any military value from it.
US-Russia Conflict
While intercept attempts are not uncommon, this incident happening amid the war in Ukraine, has raised concerns that it could bring the United States and Russia closer to direct conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry has put forward allegations against the US for instigating the drone incident by disregarding the flight limitations imposed by the Kremlin due to the ongoing military operations in Ukraine.
Russia also accused the US of intensifying its intelligence activities, which run counter to the interests of the Russian Federation.
The occurrence of this incident has brought to light the tensions between the US and Russia and has highlighted the importance of unambiguous communication between the top defense and military officials of both nations.
The significance of the situation was further emphasized by the fact that the calls between the defense ministers were the first to occur since October.
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