US accuses Russian jet of downing US drone

US accuses Russian jet of downing US drone

Washington/Moscow: Washington’s claim that a Russian fighter jet collided with a US surveillance drone near Crimea causing it to crash is both a rare military incident between the two superpowers and a serious escalation in already tense relations since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
US and Russian officials have given conflicting accounts of what occurred on Tuesday over the Black Sea between the MQ-9 Reaper drone, valued at more than $30m and packed with sensitive US spying technology, and two Russian Su-27 fighter jets that were deployed to intercept the US aircraft.
Russia has declared broad areas near Crimea off limits to flights. The US does not recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea following the invasion of the territory in 2014.
Russia’s ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the US drone had gathered intelligence that was then used by Ukrainian forces to attack Russia.
Agencies

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