A Russian aircraft has struck an unmanned US drone over the Black Sea, American officials have claimed, in an incident they described as a “reckless” action by Vladimir Putin’s military.
The US military said two Russian Su-27 aircraft had sought to “intercept” a US MQ-9 Air Force Reaper drone on Tuesday morning over international waters, flying repeatedly close to the aircraft. One of the Russian planes then struck the propeller of the drone, forcing the US military to bring it down.
“Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the US military said. “This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.”