MOSCOW: Russia reported that it scrambled a Su-30 fighter jet to intercept a US Reaper MQ-9 military drone that was approaching the Russian state border over the Black Sea. The incident, which occurred today, prompted the Russian fighter to approach the drone, leading it to perform a U-turn away from the border.
According to the Russian defense ministry, the US Air Force drone was the target of the interception. The ministry stated that the Russian aircraft safely returned to its airbase, and there was no violation of the Russian state border.
Encounters Between Russia and Western Aircraft in Black Sea
This incident adds to a series of tense encounters between Russian and Western aircraft in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions in recent months, coinciding with Russia’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine. In mid-March, another US Reaper drone had crashed after colliding with a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea, further escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington.
The situation has been marked by increased incidents of Russian intercepting foreign aircraft from countries like France, Germany, Poland, and Britain. As these aerial encounters continue, the region remains under heightened scrutiny amid geopolitical tensions between Russia and Western nations.
