Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov has told Newsweek that the US unmanned aerial vehicle downed after an encounter with Russian fighter jets over the Black Sea was supporting Ukrainian forces in the course of the current conflict.
Asked by Newsweek about the incident in which the Pentagon accused the pilots of two Russian Su-27 aircraft of “reckless, unsafe, and unprofessional” actions that forced its Air Force to deliberately bring down its MQ-9 Reaper spy drone and led the State Department to summon the Russian envoy, Antonov said he “categorically rejected all the insinuations of the US side.”
“I explained the position of the Russian Federation,” Antonov said. “I stressed that the American UAV that was moving deliberately and provocatively towards the Russian territory with its transponders turned off violated the boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation, which was communicated to all concerned users of international airspace in accordance with international standards.”
“At the same time,” he added, “the Russian fighters scrambled to identify the intruder did not use on-board weapons or come into contact with the UAV.”
The account came in contrast to that of US European Command, which shared a statement with Newsweek earlier Tuesday alleging that the Su-27s had dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it before one of the jets struck the drone’s propeller, ultimately causing it to crash.
Antonov argued it was the US at fault and argued that such flights were conducted in direct support of Ukrainian forces at war with Russian troops in Ukraine.
“The unacceptable actions of the United States military in the close proximity to our borders are cause for concern,” Antonov said. “We are well aware of the missions such reconnaissance and strike drones are used for.”
The EUCOM statement said that the MQ-9 “was conducting routine operations in international airspace” at the time of the incident.
“What do they do thousands of miles away from the United States? The answer is obvious – they gather intelligence which is later used by the Kiev regime to attack our armed forces and territory,” Antonov said.
The Russian envoy then offered a different kind of scenario, one in which a Russian UAV flew near major cities in the US
“Let us ask a rhetorical question: if, for example, a Russian strike drone appeared near New York or San Francisco, how would the US Air Force and Navy react? I am quite confident that the US military would act in an uncompromising way and would not allow its airspace or territorial waters to be breached,” Antonov said.
“We proceed from the fact that the United States will refrain from further speculations in the media landscape and stop making sorties near the Russian borders,” he added.
Russia-US relations, already significantly frayed by early last year, have deteriorated significantly since the outbreak of Russia’s war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Throughout the course of the conflict, Washington has offered significant military assistance to Kyiv, leading to repeated warnings from Moscow.
“We perceive any actions involving the use of American weapons and military equipment as openly hostile,” Antonov said. “Let me remind you that Washington has already supplied Kiev with $33 billion worth of arms. Just think about this number! It is absolutely clear that it is the United States that is leading the situation to a deliberate escalation fraught with a direct armed conflict. “
Still, he said it remained crucial for both sides to remain in contact given the high stakes of their forces operating in the Black Sea and the potential for continued cooperation in various fields that have been frozen since the onset of the conflict.
“We believe it is important that the lines of communication should remain open,” Antonov said. “Russia does not seek confrontation and stands for pragmatic cooperation in the interests of the peoples of our countries.”
Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov has told Newsweek that the US unmanned aerial vehicle downed after an encounter with Russian fighter jets over the Black Sea was supporting Ukrainian forces in the course of the current conflict.
