What we know about the US drone that crashed in the Black Sea
A recent incident involving a US drone that crashed into the Black Sea has resulted in a new conflict between Washington and Moscow. The incident has been a topic of discussion for various news outlets worldwide, with many trying to determine what exactly happened. Newly released footage of the incident shows a Russian fighter jet passing very close to the drone before it crashed, but does not provide much insight into what led up to the encounter or what happened afterward.
The US has claimed that the drone was brought down by the Russian fighter jet after it was clipped, but Russia has denied this, stating that the drone caused its own failure. The footage from the incident shows a broken propeller, which could have been the result of the Russian fighter jet passing so close to the drone. However, it is still unclear where the incident took place, and the video does not provide any help in determining its location.
Both the US and Russia have conflicting accounts of what happened during the incident. The US claims that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted the drone over the Black Sea and one of them struck it, forcing the US to bring it down in international waters. The Russian officials, on the other hand, state that the drone was flying with its communication transponders turned off, and that it had violated restricted airspace. Russian officials also denied that any of their jets were damaged.
Russian officials have confirmed that they are trying to recover the wreckage of the drone, which may have sunk to depths of up to 5,000 feet (1,500m) below the surface. At least two Russian ships have been seen at the location where the drone crashed. Meanwhile, the US does not have any ships in the Black Sea, complicating search and recovery efforts. However, General Mark Milley, America’s top military general, said they had taken steps to prevent any sensitive data from falling into Russia’s hands.
Regardless of intent, the incidents are dangerous due to escalation, says US General David Berger, commandant of the US Marine Corps. His biggest fear is a collision that is intentional or unintentional but creates an international crisis.
Photo by Senior Airman Haley Stevens
