US Says Video Reveals Russia Su-27 Jet Taking Down Reaper Drone

• The US launched footage of a Russian jet forcing down one in all its Reaper drones over the Black sea.
• The video reveals a jet flying as much as the drone and dumping gas, and the drone’s propeller getting broken.
• The US accuses Russia of reckless habits, whereas Russia has denied there was any contact made.

The US launched video of a Russian fighter jet forcing down a US Reaper drone over the Black Sea.

The video, shared by US European Command on Thursday, reveals footage from the US Air Drive MQ-9 Reaper drone.

US European Command stated Russia did an “unsafe/unprofessional intercept” of the drone. White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby has described Russia’s actions as “reckless.”

You possibly can watch the video right here:

That is what the US European Command says the video reveals:

00:00: [Start of video] A Russian Su-27 approaches the again of the US drone.

00:05: A Russian jet begins to to launch gas because it the drone.

00:09 A Russian jet passes over the drone whereas releasing gas, and the video transmission is disrupted. 

00:11: The propeller of the US drone is undamaged at this level.

00:22: A Russian jet begins to strategy the drone once more.

00:27: A Russian jet begins to launch gas because it approaches the drone, after which begins to go even nearer to the drone. 

00:29: A  jet collides with the drone and the drone’s digicam feed is misplaced for round 60 seconds. 

00:39: The drone’s digicam feed returns. The propeller might be seen once more and one in all its props seems bent.

The video then ends, and doesn’t present the drone falling into the ocean.

The US stated on Tuesday {that a} Russian jet clipped the US Air Drive MQ-9 Reaper drone when it was over the Black Sea, the strategic physique of water south of Ukraine.

The Pentagon stated that the US needed to convey down the drone because the incident made it “unflyable.”

US European Command stated two Russian Su-27 jets carried out an “unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of the US drone, when it was in worldwide airspace.

It stated the 2 jets dumped gas on and flew in entrance of the drone, after which one in all them hit the drone’s propeller, which is on the rear of the plane.

The drone was conducting routine operations, the US stated.

Russia denies that there was any contact between the jet and the drone, saying the drone crashed after “sharp maneuvering.”

Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, stated in an announcement on Wednesday that Russia sees “this incident as a provocation” and that the drone “intentionally and provocatively was shifting in the direction of Russian territory with transponders turned off.”

US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley stated on Wednesday that the US just isn’t certain if the Russian jet meant to collide with the drone, or if that was unintentional.

However he stated that the harassment that got here earlier than that contact was undoubtedly deliberate: “We all know that the intercept was intentional, we all know that the aggressive habits was intentional, we additionally understand it was very unprofessional and really unsafe.”