Recently released drone camera footage captures the moment a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with a US MQ-9 drone over international waters in the Black Sea.
The video shows the fighter plane clipping the drone’s propeller and dumping fuel over it before the US forces brought the drone down.
This incident marks the first direct confrontation between Russia and the US since the war in Ukraine began.
The collision was deliberate, and the aggressive behavior intentional, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.
The collision has triggered concerns that misunderstandings and mistakes could lead to further escalations in hostilities.
Following the incident, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to his Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu, emphasizing the importance of transparency and communication between great powers. However, Russia claims that US aerial operations in the region are provocative and pose a threat.
Earlier, the Kremlin expressed its intentions to retrieve the remains of the drone, but Milley played down the prospect of losing sensitive technology, saying that the drone has sunk to significant depths and that the US has taken mitigating measures to protect any valuable information on the drone.
The Soviet twin-engine fighter, the Sukhoi Su-27, which has been in operation since 1977, was involved in the collision and is used by the Russian Air Force, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force of China, and others.
»“Close Encounter: Russian Fighter and US Drone Collision in International Airspace”«
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