The Russian army admitted that two of its fighters intercepted an American drone in the Black Sea on Tuesday, but confirmed that they did not hit it or cause it to fall, contrary to what Washington announced.
• Also read: A Russian fighter hit an American drone in the Black Sea
The Russian Defense Ministry said: “After a sudden maneuver, at around 9:30 am Moscow time (6:30 am GMT), the MQ-9 drone began an uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and hit the water surface.
“The Russian fighters did not use their weapons, did not contact the drone, and returned safely to their base,” the ministry added.
He also claimed that the drone flew “with the transponders turned off” and violated “the area of the temporary airspace use regime established to carry out the military special operation” in Ukraine, which led to its interception.
According to the ministry, the existence of this air zone set up for Russian military operations “was communicated to all users of international airspace and was publicized in accordance with international standards.”
The Russian ministry also says the drone was detected “in the region of Crimea” and is advancing “in the direction” of the Russian Federation’s borders.
