US condemns the downing of a military drone over Black Sea by Russian fighter jet

March 14, 2023, Ukraine: The United States condemned the downing of a US spy drone by a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea on Tuesday, in an incident that underscored how the Ukraine war has increased the risk of direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington.
Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the US military described as a reckless intercept of the MQ-9 “Reaper” drone in international airspace before one of them collided with it at 7:03 a.m. (0603 GMT), causing the drone to crash into the sea.
Several times before the collision, the Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the MQ-9, possibly trying to blind or damage it, and flew in front of the unmanned drone in unsafe maneuvers, the US military said.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Army General Christopher Cavoli, briefed NATO allies about the incident. The White House and the Pentagon strongly condemned it and warned of the risk of escalation.
It was the first such episode since Russia invaded Ukraine just over a year ago. The Black Sea is bordered by Russia and Ukraine, among other countries.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow, but the US State Department later said it had summoned the Russian ambassador to discuss the downing of the drone.
“We have been flying over that airspace consistently now for a year … and we’re going to continue to do that,” said White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
The incident occurred as Russian troops pushed forward in waves along the frontline in eastern Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his view that Russia’s very existence as a state was at stake in the war.
In the eastern Donbas region, Russia and Ukraine are locked in the bloodiest infantry battle in Europe since World War Two after Moscow launched a winter offensive.