A graphic showing what the American MQ-9 drone looks like, whose crash in the Black Sea has heightened tensions with Russia.

The clash between a Russian fighter jet and a U.S. drone, which ended with the latter being shot down in the Black Sea, represents one of the most significant clashes between Washington and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.

The Russian military claims that the MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed after a “sharp maneuver”, while the US claims that the Su-27 crashed into the drone.

“From the actions of the Russian pilots, it is clear that it was unsafe, unprofessional”, – identified Pat Ryder, spokeswoman for the Pentagon.

“I think the actions speak for themselves,” added the US Air Force Brigadier General.

According to Washington, the incident lasted from 30 to 40 minutes.

“Our MQ-9 aircraft was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in the crash and total loss of the MQ-9,” the US military said in a statement.

The text claims that “several times before the collision” Russian Su-27 fighter jets “recklessly, unprofessionally and unenvironmentally” dumped fuel onto the drone.

General Pat Ryder stated that there was no direct communication between the Russian and US military at the time.

How the MQ-9 Reaper works

MQ-9 Reaper drones are unmanned aerial vehicles designed to perform surveillance tasks with a wingspan of 20 m.

These aircraft were also used to fight fires in California, USA.

The Russian Defense Ministry claims that the MQ-9 Reaper drone was flying with transponders turned off.

Transponders are communication devices that allow aircraft to be tracked.

After the collision, American remote pilots were forced to shoot it down in the Black Sea.

General Ryder did not say where he fell or if the Russian fleet tried to pick him up.

Audio recordings circulating on social media seem to indicate that Russia is trying to return the device, but this has not been confirmed.

Washington is uncomfortable that surveillance technology is so sensitive fall into the hands of the Russians.

For US President Joe Biden, who is determined to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” this is not an easy time.

Tensions between the West and the Kremlin intensified in the Black Sea after annexation of Crimea in Russia in 2014.

And since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than a year ago, the US and UK have stepped up their reconnaissance and surveillance flights in the region, always operating in international airspace.

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