The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Telegram that Russian forces detected a US UAV while monitoring equipment flying in the southwestern region of the Black Sea.
The Russian Defense Ministry said, following the arrival of the Russian planes, the US drone “changed the direction of its flight and left the area where aerial reconnaissance was being conducted.”
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (Reaper and Global Hawk) are “conducting aerial reconnaissance over the Crimean peninsula” near the Black Sea.
Immediately after the incident, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garren told the radio station CNN that the US would “continue regular missions in the Black Sea in accordance with international law to ensure freedom of navigation in the region”.
UAV MQ-9 Reaper. Answer: military
Russia has repeatedly deployed fighter jets to intercept reconnaissance aircraft and UAVs flying near the country’s borders.
Most recently, the Russian Defense Management Center announced on August 27 that a Su-30 fighter aircraft intercepted a US MQ-9A Reaper UAV over the Black Sea. According to the Russian Defense Management Center, the US MQ-9A Reaper UAV flew out of Russian territory when the country’s Su-30 fighter jet came close.
Days earlier, the Russian Air Force sent fighter jets to intercept spying UAVs MQ-9 and Bekrtar TB2 near the Crimean peninsula on August 22, but did not specify which country owned them.
In March, a US Air Force UAV incident over the Black Sea raised concerns about a military escalation between nuclear powers Russia and the US. European Command (EUCOM) then accused two Russian Su-27 jet fighters of intercepting a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper UAV over the Black Sea.
Ukrainian soldiers prepare for take-off of a drone. Photo: Reuters
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Ukraine announced on 28 August that its forces had liberated the Robotyn settlement in the Zaporizhia region in the southeast. Now the Ukrainian army is trying to move south in retaliation.
The Ukrainian army announced last week that it had raised the national flag over the strategic Robotyn settlement but a clean-up operation was still underway.
The Robotine settlement is located 10 kilometers from the border town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhia Region, on an important route leading to Tokmak, a Russian-controlled road and rail hub. The capture of Tokmak would be a major milestone as Ukrainian forces would advance south towards the Sea of Azov.
According to the news agency reutersUkrainian forces are also engaged with Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, but progress is slower than anticipated as they face vast Russian landmines and trenches.
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliyar last week described the situation in the east as “very heated”. He said the Russian military is sending more troops to the region and reorganizing to deploy the most specialized forces.
