Russian fighter jet collides with US drone: Pentagon responds to Kremlin claims - March 15, 2023

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commented on whether the downing of a U.S. drone by Russia on Tuesday was an "act of war," saying that he was "not going to go there, incidents happen." He added it was not known yet if the collision of the Russian fighter jet with the U.S. drone was intentional and they were investigating to determine that.
Milley was joined by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
According to the U.S. Air Force, a Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the U.S.’s MQ-9 aircraft at 2 a.m. Eastern (7 a.m. local time), which conducts intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It was accompanied by a second Su-27 that wasn’t involved in the collision but that U.S. officials said was also involved in “unsafe” conduct.
“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 U.S. release said. “This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.”
Russia’s defence ministry has denied the collision, saying the U.S. drone was flying over the Black Sea near Crimea and intruded into the area that Russia has claimed is off-limits as part of its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine. That caused the military to scramble jets to intercept it, according to the ministry.
Austin called the incident a "troubling episode," and that the U.S. would continue to fly where international law allows. He said he had spoken with his Russian counterpart, and told reporters that it was "incumbent upon Russia" to operate its own aircraft in a "safe and professional manner."