US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday the US would continue flying “where international law permits” the day after a US drone was intercepted over the Black Sea by Russians.
“I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister (Sergei) Shoigu. As I have said on several occasions, it is important that the major powers are role models for transparency and communication,” Mr Austin said at a news conference.
“And the United States will continue to fly … where international law permits.” And it is up to Russia to fly its military aircraft professionally and safely,” he warned.
Mr Austin said his country takes “any potential for escalation very seriously”.
“That’s why I think it’s important to keep the communication channels open. I think it’s really important that we can pick up the phone and talk. And I think that will help avoid miscalculations in the future,” he added.
US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said Washington will examine the drone data to establish the exact facts and that he himself intends to speak to his Russian counterpart.
“We have a call scheduled, let’s see if it happens,” he said at the same news conference.
“Was it on purpose or not? I do not know yet. We know the interception was intentional. We know the aggressive behavior was intentional, we also know it was unprofessional and dangerous.”
As for the physical contact between the devices, “it remains to be seen” whether it was intentional or not, he added.
The US on Tuesday accused Russian planes of “intercepting and ramming” an American Reaper drone over the Black Sea and causing it to crash.
The Russian army denied causing the plane’s crash, but acknowledged that two of its warplanes intercepted it on Tuesday.
It is the first time since the conflict in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022 that a NATO country supporting Ukraine has acknowledged the loss of equipment operated by itself in this highly flammable region.