Key takeaways:
- The US military reported that a Russian fighter jet harassed and then collided with an MQ-9 Reaper drone, forcing the US to bring the drone down.
- Russia has warned the US to cease “hostile” activity near its border, and the US has responded by calling the incident a “brazen violation of international law”.
- The incident marks the first known direct confrontation between the two superpowers since the war began last year, and tensions between the two countries are likely to continue to rise.
The US military has reported that a Russian fighter jet harassed and then collided with the propeller of an MQ-9 Reaper drone on Tuesday, forcing the US to bring the drone down in international waters. In response, Russia has warned the US to cease “hostile” activity near its border.
Anatoly Antonov, the Russian Ambassador to the US, said Tuesday that Russia does not want “confrontation” with the US but asked, “Could you imagine if such a UAV appeared suddenly close to New York or San Francisco?”
The US has responded to the incident, calling it a “brazen violation of international law” and summoning Moscow’s envoy to lodge a protest. Ukraine has also weighed in, saying the episode illustrates the Kremlin’s desire to expand the conflict.
The incident marks the first known direct confrontation between the two superpowers since the war began last year. It is unclear what the US response will be, but it is likely that tensions between the two countries will continue to rise.
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