Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets attempted to intercept a US Reaper Drone resulting in one warplane colliding downing the US aircraft.
The US Air Force said that the Russian fighter jets operated in an “unsafe and unprofessional act” which resulted in the US MQ-9 drone to crash over the Black Sea in “international airspace.”
US Air Force General James Hecker 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.
“In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.
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“US and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely.”
The US drone was on a routine flight in accordance with all international laws and the statement added that this is the latest in a series that Russia could cause “unintended escalation.”
The White House spokesman John Kirby said that the US President was briefed over the “dangerous” incident which ended with the Russian Su-27 fighter jet striking the propeller of the drone.
Kirby said that Russia have acted in an “unsafe and unprofessional” manner and the downing of the US aircraft is “unique in that regard.”
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