The United States military claimed on Tuesday (March 14) that a Russian jet collided with an American drone over the Black Sea. Divulging details, the US military's European Command said that a Russian Su-27 jet fighter collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.&nbsp;

US Air Force General James Hecker, the commander of US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said: "Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9".&nbsp;

Hecker further said that "this incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional".&nbsp;

The statement mentioned that the incident happened at approximately 7:03am (CET). It also noted that several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on the drone and flew in front of it. The US Air Force called the incident "reckless" and "environmentally unsound".&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-defends-ukraine-war-says-its-about-survival-of-russian-statehood-572027">Putin defends Ukraine war, claims it’s about ‘survival’ of Russian statehood</a>&nbsp;

CNN quoted a US official familiar with the incident as saying that the Russian fighter jet damaged the propeller of the American drone. The official, whose identity was not revealed in the report, said that the Reaper drone and two SU-27 Flanker jets were operating over international waters over the Black Sea when the incident occurred. One of the Russian jets "intentionally" flew in front of and dumped fuel in front of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).&nbsp;

While responding to the incident, the National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists that the Russian intercepts in the area are common, but this one "is noteworthy because of how unsafe and unprofessional it was, indeed reckless that it was".&nbsp;

<h2>US&nbsp;summons&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;envoy&nbsp;</h2>

In the immediate aftermath, The US summoned Russia's ambassador to protest the crash, the State Department said. Spokesman Ned Price told reporters: "We are engaging directly with the Russians, again at senior levels, to convey our strong objections to this unsafe, unprofessional intercept, which caused the downing of the unmanned US aircraft."&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Ukraine becomes testing ground for new-age Russian weapons

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<h2>Russia denies causing crash</h2>

Russia's defence ministry denied causing the crash as it said that it scrambled fighter jets following the detection of a US drone over the Black Sea.&nbsp;

"As a result of a sharp manoeuvre... the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle entered an uncontrolled flight with loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water," the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

The ministry added that its fighter jets "did not use their on-board weapons, made no contact with the UAV".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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The United States military claimed on Tuesday (March 14) that a Russian jet collided with an American drone over the Black Sea. Divulging details, the US military's European Command said that a Russian Su-27 jet fighter collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The United States military claimed on Tuesday (March 14) that a Russian jet collided with an American drone over the Black Sea. Divulging details, the US military's European Command said that a Russian Su-27 jet fighter collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone. US Air Force General James Hecker, the commander of US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said: "Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9". Hecker further said that "this incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional". The statement mentioned that the incident happened at approximately 7:03am (CET). It also noted that several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on the drone and flew in front of it. The US Air Force called the incident "reckless" and "environmentally unsound". ALSO READ | Putin defends Ukraine war, claims it’s about ‘survival’ of Russian statehood CNN quoted a US official familiar with the incident as saying that the Russian fighter jet damaged the propeller of the American drone. The official, whose identity was not revealed in the report, said that the Reaper drone and two SU-27 Flanker jets were operating over international waters over the Black Sea when the incident occurred. One of the Russian jets "intentionally" flew in front of and dumped fuel in front of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). While responding to the incident, the National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists that the Russian intercepts in the area are common, but this one "is noteworthy because of how unsafe and unprofessional it was, indeed reckless that it was". US summons Russian envoy In the immediate aftermath, The US summoned Russia's ambassador to protest the crash, the State Department said. Spokesman Ned Price told reporters: "We are engaging directly with the Russians, again at senior levels, to convey our strong objections to this unsafe, unprofessional intercept, which caused the downing of the unmanned US aircraft." WATCH | Gravitas: Ukraine becomes testing ground for new-age Russian weapons × Russia denies causing crash Russia's defence ministry denied causing the crash as it said that it scrambled fighter jets following the detection of a US drone over the Black Sea. "As a result of a sharp manoeuvre... the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle entered an uncontrolled flight with loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that its fighter jets "did not use their on-board weapons, made no contact with the UAV". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea; US calls it 'reckless'

The US military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Libya's capital last month was in fact shot down by Russian air defences and it is demanding the return of the aircraft's wreckage, US Africa Command says.

The US military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Libya's capital last month was in fact shot down by Russian air defences and it is demanding the return of the aircraft's wreckage, US Africa Command says. Such a shootdown would underscore Moscow's increasingly muscular role in the energy-rich nation, where Russian mercenaries are reportedly intervening on behalf of east Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar in Libya's civil war. Haftar has sought to take the capital Tripoli, now held by Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). US Army General Stephen Townsend, who leads Africa command, said he believed the operators of the air defences at the time "didn't know it was the US remotely piloted aircraft when they fired on it." "But they certainly know who it belongs to now and they are refusing to return it. They say they don't know where it is but I am not buying it," Townsend told in a statement, without elaborating. The US assessment, which has not been previously disclosed, concludes that either Russian private military contractors or Haftar's so-called Libyan National Army were operating the air defences at the time the drone was reported lost on November 21, said Africa Command spokesman Air Force Colonel Christopher Karns. Karns said the United States believed the air defence operators fired on the US aircraft after "mistaking it for an opposition" drone. An official in Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) told that Russian mercenaries appeared to be responsible. Russian authorities deny using military contractors in any foreign military theatre and say any Russian civilians who may be fighting abroad are volunteers. The LNA denies it has foreign backing. One current and one former Russian contractor told Reuters that since September the LNA had received ground support from several hundred private military contractors from a Russian group. Military officials linked to the GNA and Western diplomats have also confirmed the presence of Russian contractors in Libya.

US says drone shot down by Russian air defences near Libyan capital

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Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea; US calls it 'reckless'

US says drone shot down by Russian air defences near Libyan capital