News

By Snejana Farberov

March 17, 2023 | 10:17am

The Kremlin trolled the US Friday by handing out state awards to the Russian fighter pilots who brought down an American surveillance drone over the Black Seat this week.

Russian Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu introduced awards to the pilots of two Su-27 warplanes that intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone, clipped its propeller, and dumped gasoline on it earlier than it went down Tuesday, in response to the US narrative.

The incident, described by the US army as “reckless,” marked the primary identified direct army encounter between Russia and the US because the begin of the Ukraine battle — and marked a brand new low level in relations between Washington and Moscow.

The incident marked the primary identified direct army encounter between Russia and the US because the begin of the Ukraine battle.

Asserting the honors, Shoigu’s ministry repeated Russia’s official model of occasions – strongly disputed by Washington — that the planes didn’t make any bodily contact with the drone.

“Because of sharp maneuvering… the MQ-9 unmanned aerial car went into uncontrolled flight with a lack of altitude and collided with the water floor,” a press launch shared on the ministry’s Telegram channel stated.

“The Russian fighters didn’t use airborne weapons, didn’t come into contact with the unmanned aerial car, and returned safely to their base airfield,” the assertion continued.

Based on the ministry, the drone had been flying with its transponders turned off and violating airspace restrictions that Russia had made public in reference to the battle in Ukraine.

The Pentagon had stated the Russian fighter planes sided as much as its MQ-9 Reaper throughout a reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea in worldwide airspace.

It stated the fighters harassed the drone and made contact with it, inflicting it to crash.

The DoD on Thursday launched a dramatic 42-second edited video exhibiting a Russian fighter jet coming near the drone, gasoline being jettisoned close to it in an obvious try at blinding the drone’s optical devices, and a broken propeller within the aftermath.

A day earlier, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, stated it “stays to be seen” whether or not the downing of the $30 million drone was intentional.

“We all know that the intercept was intentional. We all know that the aggressive habits was intentional — we additionally realize it was very unprofessional and really unsafe,” he stated.

Anatoly Antonov, Russian ambassador to the US, justified the actions of the Su-27 pilots as a response to the US “intentionally and provocatively” encroaching on Moscow’s airspace. 

“The unacceptable exercise of the US army within the shut proximity to our borders is a trigger for concern,” Antonov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned the incident with Shoigu Wednesday of their first cellphone convention since October.

“Sergei Shoigu identified that the incident was attributable to the US actions of non-compliance with the flight restriction zone declared by the Russian Federation established in reference to the [war], in addition to elevated reconnaissance actions in opposition to the pursuits of the Russian Federation,” the Russian Protection ministry stated in an announcement following the decision.