A Russian fighter jet spilled fuel on a US combat drone, damaging the aircraft over the Black Sea. The craft ended up in international waters.
This is the first direct altercation between a machine controlled by the American army and a Russian soldier since the invasion of Ukraine. This March 14, 2023, the CNN TV channel reports that a fighter plane, model SU-27, was flying over the Black Sea at the same time as an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone, according to an American official familiar with the incident. . The Russian pilot intentionally flew into the area of the drone and allegedly spilled fuel on the U.S. military’s ROV. One of the jets is said to have damaged the rear propeller of the American model. The damage caused by the liquid would have forced the US Army to send their drone directly into the international waters of the Black Sea.
The United States Air Force issued a statement accusing the Russian aircraft of having acted in a reckless, environmentally unfriendly and unprofessional manner “, according to General James B. Hecker, commander of the American air forces in Europe and Africa.
Constant monitoring
These combat and reconnaissance drones have been used since the start of the invasion to monitor the Black Sea. The MQ9 Reapers are among the most capable models in the world and can fly up to 15,000 meters for nearly 36 hours. They are equipped with sensors and intelligence gathering and reconnaissance capabilities for long periods of time. The device that disappeared today costs several tens of millions of euros.
The “accident” of March 14 will probably only strain relations between Washington and Moscow. The United States is already Ukraine’s largest arms supplier and strongly assists Ukraine in the fighting, including by providing satellite imagery.
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