WASHINGTON, Mar 15 Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin told Defense Secretary RF to Sergei Shoigu in light of the UAV incident over the Black Sea that the US will continue flying over international waters.
«Secretary Austin stressed that the US will continue to fly and operate where international law allows,» the Pentagon said following the ministers' conversation.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported earlier that on Tuesday morning, an American MQ-9 drone with its transponders turned off violated the borders of the area of the temporary regime for the use of airspace over the Black Sea. The UAV was moving towards the Russian border, Russian fighters were raised into the air to identify the intruder. Due to abrupt maneuvering, the drone went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and fell into the water. The Russian fighters did not come into contact with the MQ-9, did not use airborne weapons, and returned safely to their base airfield, the Russian Defense Ministry stressed. » />
Infographic