Russian jet hit US drone over Black Sea, forcing UAV crash, claims Washington

In a major escalation of tension between USA and Russia, Washington claimed that a Russian fighter jet hit the propeller of an American surveillance drone over the Black Sea on 14 March 2023.

US said that Russia's move forced it to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle. Washington called it a "brazen violation of international law".

The incident, which added to Russia-U.S. tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine, appeared to be the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after an encounter with a Russian warplane.

U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby. He added that U.S. State Department officials would be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts and “expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price called it a “brazen violation of international law.” He said the U.S. summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a protest and the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has made similar representations in Moscow.

(With agency inputs)

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