After the US intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle MQ-9 crashed over the Black Sea, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoli Antonov was summoned to the US State Department. “The unacceptable actions of the US military near our borders are a cause for concern. We believe it is important to keep the lines of communication open. Russia does not seek conflict and favors pragmatic cooperation in the interests of the peoples of our countries,” said Ambassador Antonov.
Answering the questions of the journalists at the daily press conference of the US Department of State, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price announced that after the incident, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoli Antonov was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We are contacting the Russians directly – again at high levels – to convey our strong objections to this unsafe, unprofessional intervention that led to the downing of the US drone. As for the details, we call the Russian ambassador to the unit where we will forward this message,” Price said.
Antonov’s statement on the subject was included in the US Russian Embassy Telegram account. Antonov stated that he was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday and stated that he denied the accusations of the USA, “I explained the position of the Russian Federation. The American UAV, which acts deliberately and provocatively on Russian territory with its transponders closed, is transmitted to all relevant users of international airspace in accordance with international norms. “I stressed that the temporary airspace regime created for special military operations violated its borders,” he said. Antonov also stated that the Russian planes that detected the UAV did not use weapons and did not come into contact with the UAV. Russia does not seek conflict and favors pragmatic cooperation in line with the interests of the peoples of our countries.” In a written statement made by EUCOM, “Two Russian Su-27 aircraft, operating in international airspace over the Black Sea yesterday, US Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. an unsafe and unprofessional interceptor to the unmanned MQ-9 aircraft. added it. At approximately 07:03, one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft crashed into the MQ-9’s propeller, causing US forces to have to shoot the MQ-9 down in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s recklessly, environmentally damaging and unprofessional dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it. “This incident shows incompetence as well as being unsafe and unprofessional.” Hecker stated that while the MQ-9 was conducting routine operations in international airspace, it was intercepted by a Russian aircraft, which caused the MQ-9 to crash. was happening. “U.S. and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace, and we urge the Russians to act professionally and safely.”
On the other hand, noting that this event is the continuation of a series of dangerous actions taken by Russian pilots while interacting with US and allied aircraft in international airspace, including the Black Sea, it was stated that these ‘aggressive actions’ of Russian aircrews are dangerous and may lead to miscalculations and undesirable tensions. was done.