The Pentagon has released a video that appears to show a Russian fighter jet intentionally targeting an American military drone in international waters.
The incident happened earlier this week, and the Kremlin initially blamed the US for the drone’s downing.
However, the video shows that the jet deliberately targeted the drone, dumping fuel in an attempt to knock its equipment offline.
Russian officials denied these claims and said that the drone went down as a result of a “sharp maneuver.” The incident is part of a broader pattern of provocative behavior from Russian pilots, say military officials, with an uptick in “unprofessional moves” by the Russian Air Force in the past two weeks.
The White House is considering a response, which could include new sanctions against Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has brushed off these threats.
