US-Russia tensions have risen following the release of a US military video showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet conducting an "unsafe/unprofessional intercept" of a US Air Force MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea. The footage shows the Russian jet making two passes by the drone and dumping fuel on it, and US Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker has accused the jet of nearly causing the two aircraft to crash. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that the incident has damaged relations between the two countries.
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On Tuesday, a Russian fighter jet struck a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, resulting in the U.S. bringing down the unmanned aerial vehicle. This incident has raised tensions between the two countries and appears to mark the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after being hit by a Russian warplane. U.S. Air Force Gen. Hecker called the incident a “brazen violation of international law” and the U.S. is currently investigating the matter.
On Tuesday, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, marking the first direct contact between Russian and US military aircraft since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US Air Force reported that the Russian jet intentionally flew in front of and dumped fuel in front of the unmanned drone, which was brought down in international waters. The White House called the intercept "reckless" and the US Air Force is currently investigating the incident. The collision is a reminder of the tensions between the two countries and the need for increased communication and cooperation.