The Russian Ministry of Defense said that a US Air Force reconnaissance drone approached the Russian border over the Black Sea. Su-30 fighter took off into the air

The Russian Ministry of Defense said it scrambled a Su-30 fighter after it detected an “air target” over the Black Sea approaching the Russian border. This was reported on the department’s telegram channel.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the aerial target turned out to be an MQ-9A Reaper reconnaissance drone of the US Air Force.

The agency claims that when the Russian fighter approached, the drone “made a U-turn” away from the Russian border.

“The flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters in compliance with safety measures,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

• On March 14, the US command in Europe reported that an American MQ-9 reconnaissance drone crashed after a collision with a Russian Su-27 fighter in international waters over the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the drone crash, but said that “as a result of sharp maneuvering,” the drone went into uncontrolled flight and crashed. After the incident, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov was summoned to the US State Department, and President Joe Biden was informed about the incident.