According to presidential administration spokesman John Kirby, Russia’s actions in relation to the UAV were dangerous and unprofessional.
Despite the fact that the American MQ-9 Reaper was shot down over the Black Sea, the US will continue its operations in international airspace. This was announced on March 14 by the coordinator of the National Security Council for strategic communications, John Kirby, reports CNN.
MQ-9 Reaper shot down in the Black Sea – US position
“If the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying and operating in international airspace over the Black Sea, then that message will fail because it won’t happen,” Kirby said.
The interception of a US drone over the Black Sea was called dangerous and unprofessional by a White House spokesman. Russia has gone beyond its previous efforts to intercept US aircraft, he said.
“We are going to continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters. The Black Sea does not belong to any nation. And we are going to continue to do what we need for our national security interests in this part of the world,” Kirby said.
The official explained that the presence of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea was not new, as UAVs have been flying in the area continuously for a year. According to him, the Americans have no reason to notify Russia before the flight.
“We do not need to go through any registration with the Russians before flying in international airspace,” a White House spokesman said.
MQ-9 Reaper shot down in the Black Sea – timeline
The US drone shot down in the Black Sea was reported on March 14 in Sky News. It was noted that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet deliberately dropped fuel in front of an American drone over the international waters of the Black Sea. The Americans had to shoot down their MQ-9 Reaper.
The Russian Defense Ministry commented on the incident with the US drone. They reported that the MQ-9 Reaper went into uncontrolled flight over the Black Sea in the Crimea region and fell into the water. The US State Department said that the drone was shot down by the efforts of the Russian Federation.
Later, John Kirby said that the United States would discuss with the Russian Federation how the MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in the Black Sea. Journalists found out that the US State Department called the Russian ambassador to a serious conversation.
US Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder said that the Americans are declassifying a video of a Russian Su-27 colliding with a US drone.
The Russian ambassador also spoke about the incident. Anatoly Antonov repeated the statement of the Ministry of Defense that Russia was not involved in the fact that the MQ-9 Reaper was shot down in the Black Sea. According to him, the Americans were warned of the danger and the Russian Federation does not seek confrontation with them.
