The Pentagon has released a video that shows Russian military jets interfering with a U.S Reaper drone in international airspace before crashing it into the Black Sea.
The footage contradicts Russia’s claim that the drone had maneuvered out of control and that their fighter jets did not make contact with the drone.
The footage appears to show Russian warplanes fraying fuel on the drone multiple times before one of the fighter jets comes in vertically at high speed and collides with the drone’s rear propeller, visibly damaging it.
The drone then plunges into the Black Sea, prompting Russia and the U.S.
to attempt to recover what’s left of it.
The incident has prompted a rare call between defense secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart.
The Pentagon has called this incident part of a recent pattern of aggressive behavior by Russian pilots and they want to know why.
U.S.
officials say even if the Russians find a large portion of it, they would only recover little to no intelligence.
