Russia said on Monday it had taken off two fighter jets to intercept two US reconnaissance planes over the Black Sea near Crimea, a type of incident that has become frequent in recent months.
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The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that, after “detecting a flight heading to the Russian state border,” Moscow sent two fighter jets to “prevent a possible violation of the border” and “counter reconnaissance (mission)” of the drones.
He added that US drones, of the Reaper and Global Hawk model, were “carrying out aerial reconnaissance in the region of Crimea,” which Russia annexed in 2014.
The ministry added that after the arrival of the Russian planes, “the drones changed direction and left the areas for conducting aerial reconnaissance.”
Incidents involving Russian aircraft and US drones or NATO planes have multiplied in recent months, whether in the Black Sea or over the Baltic Sea, against the background of the conflict in Ukraine.
On Sunday, Russia announced that it had intercepted a US drone that was approaching its borders in the Black Sea. A similar incident occurred in early August.
Crimea, logistically important to Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine, has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes since the start of the conflict.
