A military incident between the United States and Russia appears to have occurred not far from Ukraine over the Black Sea.
A drone and a fighter jet collide.
Russia rejects allegations: Moscow reports a completely different story about the incident.
Russia fighter jet collides with US drone: ZDF expert sees “unique event”
Incident over the Black Sea: Russia jet crashes into US drone
Serious allegations from the USA.
Update from March 15, 8:05 a.m .:
Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, has defended Moscow against criticism of a Russian fighter jet colliding with a US drone.
"The unacceptable actions of the US military in close proximity to our borders are a cause for concern," Antonov said, according to US media.
One is "very well aware of the tasks for which such reconnaissance and combat drones are used." In his statement, Antonov accused the USA of using such drones to collect information "that will later be used by the Kiev regime, our armed forces and attack territories".
Update from March 14, 10:24 p.m .:
The Russian ambassador to the United States has arrived at the State Department in Washington.
The USA had summoned him after the incident over the Black Sea.
Anatoly Antonov met with Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Karen Donfried.
According to CNN, the visit lasted almost 30 minutes.
Antonov made it clear that Russia does not want a "confrontation" with the United States.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried has expressed U.S. concern about the incident, the report said.
In addition, "our comments on this subject were exchanged because we have some differences of opinion".
Antonov spoke of a "constructive conversation".
He also repeated the Russian point of view: According to this, the Russian jet did not touch or attack the US drone, rather it crashed by itself.
In addition, Russia accuses the United States that the drone entered a special secured airspace that was set up during the Ukraine war and about which the United States had been informed in advance.
Russia denies allegations in fighter jet drone incident
Update from March 14, 8:23 p.m .:
The US Air Force has made serious allegations against Russia after the incident over the Black Sea.
Moscow is now reacting and denying everything: On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied any responsibility in connection with the crash of a US drone over the Black Sea.
The drone was neither shot at nor attacked in any other way, according to a statement distributed by the state agency TASS.
A Russian Air Force alarm squad was deployed to identify an unknown intruder over the Black Sea.
During a sharp evasive maneuver, the drone rapidly lost altitude and fell into the sea, according to the Russian military.
"The Russian warplanes did not use any onboard weapons, did not come into contact with the UAV and returned safely to their home base."
Russia fighter jet collides with US drone: ZDF expert sees “unique event”
Update from March 14, 7:30 p.m .:
The incident over the Black Sea, in which a Russian “Su-27” fighter jet and an American “MQ-9 Reaper” drone collided over international waters, are causing concern around Ukraine -War caused a stir.
Russian fighter jet collides with US drone: Black Sea incident concerned
According to ZDF Washington correspondent Claudia Bates, this is a one-off incident.
“Such encounters in international airspace do happen.
But this is an unusual provocation by the Russian pilots.
The drone was traveling in international airspace and would have carried out a routine operation there," Bates reported in the "heute journal", citing the US armed forces: "The pilots would then first have drained fuel over the drone and finally touched it, causing it to had to be taken from the sky by the Americans.
And that is actually a one-off process.”
The US would make it very clear "that Russia acted here on purpose and condemned it very strongly," Bates said.
According to the ZDF Washington correspondent, the respective foreign ministries would first contact each other to clarify the background to the military incident.
The "MQ-9 Reaper" drone is a reconnaissance drone, but it can also carry air-to-surface missiles.
Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine
Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine
First report from March 14:
Munich – In the context of the Ukraine war, there has apparently been a military incident between the US armed forces and the Russian air force.
Over the Black Sea: Apparently a US drone and a Russian fighter jet collide
A US MQ-9 Reaper drone and a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collide, according to the US news magazine
Politico
.
Accordingly, the Americans have to crash the drone over international waters after the collision.
According to the report, the "Su-27" hit the propeller of the American drone.
Prior to the collision, the Russian fighter jet allegedly "dumped fuel and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, polluting and unprofessional manner.
This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,"
Politico
quoted the US armed forces as saying.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the transatlantic defense alliance NATO has been intensifying its activities over the Black Sea.
+
A Russian Su-27 fighter jet is said to have crashed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.
(collage: icon images)
© IMAGO / SNA//IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
The US news site
CNN
also reports on the incident, according to which two Sukhoi Su-27 air superiority fighters are said to have flanked the drone.
"One of the jets then damaged the Reaper's propeller, which is mounted on the drone's tail,"
CNN
quoted a US official as saying.
Black Sea near Ukraine: Russian "Su-27" apparently crashes US drone
The official statement by US Air Force General James B. Hecker, commander of US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said in the evening: “Around 7:03 a.m. (CET) one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft hit the propeller of the MQ-9, resulting in US forces having to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.
Before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel several times and flew in front of the MQ-9s in a reckless, polluting and unprofessional manner.
This incident shows a lack of competence and is not only unsafe and unprofessional.”
This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.
US Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker (Source: CNN)
The almost eleven meters long and around 20 meters wide "MQ-9 Reaper" is used for so-called close air support, ergo, airspace surveillance and the exploration of strategic areas.
It can carry air-to-surface missiles and anti-tank guided missiles.
+
Giant drone: The US armed forces' "MQ-9 Reaper" is up to eleven meters long and has a wingspan of almost 20 meters.
(symbol photo)
© IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
Black Sea: Does the US support Ukraine with reconnaissance drones?
In recent months it has been repeatedly suspected that the USA is using drone reconnaissance to support the Ukrainians in their defense campaign against the Russian invasion. The Americans, together with other NATO partners, maintain an air force base in Constanta, Romania, on the Black Sea coast.
(pm)
List of rubrics: © Massoud Hossaini/MH/AP/dpa