According to journalists, shortly after the fall of the American UAV, the United States again sent the same type of drone – the MQ-9 Reaper – on another mission and approximately to the same area of the Black Sea where the previous drone fell.
The United States is evaluating the feasibility of further operations in the Black Sea region using drones – weighing the pros and cons after Russian fighters intercepted an MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance drone on March 14. This is reported by CNN, citing government sources.
At the time of this analysis, however, flights did not stop. Shortly after the recent incident, the US military again sent the same type of drone – the MQ-9 Reaper – on another mission and to approximately the same area of the Black Sea where the previous drone fell.
The new UAV was supposed to trace the crash site and follow the actions of the Russians, who said they would try to pick up the fallen MQ-9 Reaper.
But now the United States is analyzing drone routes and assessing how to reduce the risk of conflict with the Russian Federation, whose fighter jets make regular flights to and from Crimea.
The Pentagon wants to weigh all the possible costs of such missions – to compare the potential value of intelligence on a particular route with the risk of escalation with the Russian Federation.
The US command expresses the opinion that restrictions on drone flights will affect the collection of intelligence related to the war in Ukraine. But the US has other ways to collect information, such as using satellites.
At the same time, according to the American official, he planned another flight in the coming days.
Explore the limits of what is acceptable
The former commander of US forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, said that the use of force and intimidation is inherent in the Russian Federation, it is part of a cultural and institutional campaign. When representatives of the Russian Federation are sure that they will get away with provocations, they explore the limits of what is acceptable.
It’s not only and not so much in Ukraine. Aspects such as rules-based international order, navigation in international airspace, and sovereignty concern everyone, not just Ukraine.
Hodges compared reconnaissance drone flights over the Black Sea to the passage of US Navy ships in the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait. Countries such as the Russian Federation and China will try to probe the boundaries of what is permitted until they encounter opposition and realize that this is international airspace, where not only they can be.
According to the former military man, it is quite remarkable that the Russian Defense Ministry has not released any videos, although the two Russian planes that were chasing the drone also have cameras.
Recall that the US military showed an attack on the MQ-9 Reaper drone by Russian Su-27 fighters. The footage shows that the fighter jets dropped fuel onto the UAV.
Earlier, Focus reported that provocations by Russian aviation over US bases have become more frequent in Syria. Since the beginning of this month, there has been an increase in cases of “unprofessional” behavior on the part of Russian combat pilots.
