The American reconnaissance drone MQ-9 fell over the Black Sea on the morning of March 14 by itself «as a result of sharp maneuvering,» the Russian Ministry of Defense claims.
«Russian fighters did not use airborne weapons, they made contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle did not enter and returned safely to the base airfield, ”the military department says.
According to the US military, two Russian Su-27 fighters that flew to the drone “dropped fuel on it and flew in front of it,” and then one of them damaged the propeller.
The incident occurred over the sea «in the region of the Crimean peninsula,» according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The drone flew with “transponders turned off” and “violated the borders of the area of the temporary regime for the use of airspace established for the purpose of conducting a special military operation.”