Still tensions in the skies between Russia and the United States. Moscow has sent a Su-35 fighter-bomber to the Baltic region after spotting two American B-52H strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs. Russian systems spotted the two planes heading towards the border with the Russian Federation, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.
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“The targets have been identified as US Air Force B-52H strategic bombers,” the Russian National Defense Control Center said. After the withdrawal of foreign military aircraft from the border, the fighter returned to its base international rules on the use of airspace. The border violation was not allowed”.
In recent days, an American drone flying over the Black Sea crashed after being intercepted by two Russian jets, sparking an exchange of accusations between Washington and Moscow, with the first direct contact between the two superpowers following the first year of the war in Ukraine. The American MQ-9 drone would have crashed after colliding with a Russian Su-27 jet, according to the Stars and Stripes version. But Russia denies any responsibility and speaks of an accident: the drone crashed after a wrong maneuver.
The United States is reconstructing the episode, which lasted 30 to 40 minutes, using information released by the White House and the Pentagon. The drone, according to General James Hecker, was “performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian plane,” specifically a Su-27, which “caused an accident and the complete loss of the MQ-9.” The US has decided to shoot down the drone in international waters.
The jet, says Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, “was likely damaged.” “Because of the damage, we had to throw it into the Black Sea,” adds the Pentagon spokesman, explaining that the drone is no longer airworthy. The MQ-9 Reaper drone conducted “routine operations in international airspace.”
General Hecker reconstructs the phases of the collision: “At 7:03 a.m., one of the” two “Russian Su-27 jets” that were in the area hit the propeller of the MQ-9, forcing US forces to shoot down MQ -9 in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s released fuel by flying in front of the MQ-9 in a careless, inappropriate and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to “a “dangerous and unprofessional” behavior, in Hecker’s words.
The White House, through National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, said: “If the message is that ‘the Russians’ want to dissuade us from flying and operating in international airspace over the Black Sea, then that message will fail because that’s not going to happen.” Because “we will continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters.” Kirby adds that “the Black Sea does not belong to any nation. And we will continue to do what we do for our national security interests in this part.” The US is evaluating whether to distribute at least some of the episode’s images. In the meantime, they are working to recover the remains of the plane and prevent the Stars and Stripes technology from using any data collected falls into the wrong hands. “Without going into detail, I can say that we have taken the necessary steps,” says Kirby. “It’s U S property, we don’t want anyone else to get their hands on it.”
Ambassador Anatoly Antonov is summoned to Washington to make statements after the first response from the Defense Ministry from Moscow: the American MQ-9 Reaper drone that crashed in the Black Sea “violates the rules on the use of airspace”. and because of this, “the Russian fighter planes flew off.” But “there was no contact between the American drone and the Russian fighters” who “did not use weapons”.
“The American drone lost control after a sudden maneuver in flight, lost altitude and crashed into the water,” the ministry claims. “The drone was flying towards the border of the Russian Federation,” the note adds, stating that the plane had “turned off the transponders.” The ministry also states that “after the drone was spotted, the fighters on duty of the Russian Armed Forces took off.”
“Russia is not looking for a confrontation with the United States,” says Antonov. “The Russian Federation considers the incident with the American drone in the sky over the Black Sea as a provocation. The question of the “consequences” for Moscow after the drone incident did not arise addressed”, explains the diplomat, stressing the need for the United States and Russia to act “very carefully” after recent events.