The GuardianThe Guardian

Russian fighter jet collides with US drone causing it to crash into Black Sea

By Julian Borger in Washington and Pjotr Sauer

14 Mar 2023 · 4 min read

Editor's Note

The U.S. Reaper drone was likely conducting surveillance for Ukraine when Russian jets intercepted it. The collision underscores the dangers of escalation, reports The Post.

A Russian fighter has collided with a US Reaper drone, forcing it down into the Black Sea, in what US forces called an “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept.

A US European Command statement said the collision happened just after 7am on Tuesday morning, when two Russian Su-27 fighter jets flew up to the MQ-9 Reaper drone over international waters west of Crimea. The statement said the Russian pilots sought to disrupt the US aircraft before the collision.

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