Russian fighter jet forces down US drone after collision over Black Sea

March 14, 2023

The US military was forced to take down one of its own drones Tuesday after it collided with a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea.

In a statement, US European Command (EUCOM) said the MQ-9 drone was brought down in international waters after its propeller was struck by one of two Russian Su-27 aircraft that conducted an “unsafe and unprofessional intercept.”

“Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound, and unprofessional manner,” the statement read. “This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.”

"This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” the US European Command wrote in a statement. — “This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” the US European Command wrote in a statement.

Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, the commander of US air operations in Europe and Africa, said the drone was carrying out “routine operations in international airspace” and claimed the Russian jet’s actions “nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”

This is a developing story; refresh the page for more updates.