Russian fighter pilots involved in the crash of a US drone will receive a state award, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 17th. This shows that Russia will take a more aggressive stance against US reconnaissance flights in the future.
The U.S. military said two Russian warplanes sprayed fuel on a U.S. reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea on the 14th, after which one of them rammed the drone’s propeller, causing the MQ-9 Reaper to crash. Russia denies a collision with a US drone and accused the US drone of invading Russia’s no-fly zone.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised Russian fighter pilots on the 17th for preventing U.S. drones from flying in the no-fly zone set by Russia. Russia argued that these actions were in line with international norms.
Russia’s announcement of a pilot reward came a day after the US military released a video of a Russian fighter jet fueling a US drone.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov held a phone call on the 15th for the first time since October last year to discuss the seriousness of the incident.
Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov said of the announcement of the reward for fighter pilots, “It is a clear sign that Russia will continue to shoot down US drones.”
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over US reconnaissance flights over the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia also accused the US and its allies of effectively intervening in the war by supplying weapons and sharing information to Ukraine.
Some Russian officials have accused the US reconnaissance flights of helping Ukraine to gather intelligence that could allow it to attack Russian targets.
[모스크바=AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.