by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) – A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted and hit the propeller of a U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone on Tuesday, causing it to crash into the Black Sea, US sources said. the US military, condemning the incident as “dangerous”.
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, the White House National Security Council spokesman said.
If interceptions of this type have already taken place in the past, added John Kirby, this one is notable for its “dangerous and non-professional” character.
He said US State Department officials would speak directly with their Russian counterparts to “express our concerns”.
Moscow had no immediate comment.
According to the US military, this incident is part of a context of dangerous behavior by Russian pilots operating near the fleet of the United States and their allies, including above the Black Sea bordered in particular by Russia and the Ukraine.
Two Russian Su-27 fighters came to intercept the American MQ-9 drone, one of them then colliding with it, at 1803 GMT, after the Russian planes carried out dangerous maneuvers, reported the US Army in a statement.
“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, causing it to fall and the total loss of the MQ-9,” General James Hecker said. responsible for supervising American aviation in the region.
“In fact, this dangerous and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused the downfall of both aircraft,” he added in a statement. (Reporting Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu; French version Jean Terzian, editing by Kate Entringer)
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