Details on the Collision of Russian Fighters and an American Drone in the Black Sea: What is Known

Following an incident involving a drone in the Black Sea, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets have safely returned to their base in Crimea. This is reported by FOX News.

The U.S. European Command stated that “two Su-27 aircraft engaged in an unsafe and unprofessional interception of the American MQ-9 drone.” According to the American side's assessment, one of the jets struck the drone's propeller engine.

General James Hecker, commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, claimed that the Russian Su-27 deliberately released fuel towards the MQ-9 Reaper, causing the American drone's propeller engine to malfunction, leading to the drone's crash in international waters.

Meanwhile, CNN, citing an anonymous official, reported that the U.S. itself destroyed the Reaper drone over the Black Sea. According to the official, one of the Russian aircraft hit the propeller located at the rear of the drone, which forced the U.S. to destroy the UAV in neutral waters of the Black Sea.