Rumors that an American MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics was shot down over the Black Sea have been confirmed. But there are some interesting nuances.
What is known
The drone was in international waters. During the flight, the Russian fighter caught the propeller of the MQ-9 Reaper. The incident occurred on March 14 at approximately 08:03 (EET). After that, the US military decided to shoot down its own drone. At the same time, the Russian aircraft “was almost lost,” i.e. most likely he survived.
‼️ Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the American MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.
— Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) March 14, 2023
The cost of the MQ-9 Reaper is $10-30 million, depending on the version. The unmanned aerial vehicle performed routine operations over the Black Sea. US President Joe Biden has already been informed of the loss of the drone.
Before the collision, two Su-27 fighter jets dropped fuel several times and circled over the MQ-9 Reaper. The US administration said that the State Department wants to discuss with the Russian side what happened.
Source: Reuters
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