Footage of Russian Attack on US Drone Released to Public

Footage of Russian Attack on US Drone Released to Public

(UnitedVoice.com) – A Russian jet crashed into a large American drone on Tuesday, March 14. Russia denied its Su-27 fighter jet clipped the drone’s propeller. However, the US released a video to the public that appears to corroborate the allegations.

On March 16, President Joe Biden’s administration released a video that shows the Russian plane approaching the MQ-9 Reaper drone from behind. Suddenly, the Russian jet releases fuel onto the drone, allegedly in an attempt to blind its optical instruments.

After the jet dumped fuel, another plane approached. It’s not clear whether it was the same one involved in the initial contact or another jet. That one struck the propeller of the drone and damaged it. The video doesn’t show the collision but does show the damage. The US military then decided to let the drone crash into the Black Sea.

The Associated Press reported Russia claimed its jet didn’t hit the drone, saying it went down on its own. The Biden Administration said it couldn’t determine whether the collision was intentional or not. The Russian Defense Ministry accused the US of ignoring flight restrictions it had imposed because of its war on Ukraine. US officials disputed the claims, saying the drone was in international airspace.

Russian vessels rushed to the scene of the drone crash, likely in an attempt to collect the debris for intelligence reasons. According to Fox News, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said the unmanned aerial vehicle was likely deep in the water at that point on Wednesday. That area of the Black Sea has a depth of 4,000 to 5,000 feet.

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said the military had taken steps to “protect [America’s] equities.” He said they don’t want anyone else “getting their hands on it beyond” the US government.

Copyright 2023, UnitedVoice.com