The American MQ-9 Reaper drone, which fell into the Black Sea after colliding with a Russian fighter jet, was flying from its base in Romania and carrying out routine reconnaissance. The New York Times writes about this with reference to a high-ranking US military official.

 The interlocutor of the newspaper said that the drone can carry Hellfire missiles, but it was not equipped with them. On March 14, the apparatus performed a mission approximately 120 kilometers southwest of the annexed Crimea. There he was intercepted by two Russian military planes.

 The CBS television channel simulated the fall of the drone and demonstrated the video on air. The footage shows the fighter approaching the aircraft from below and then dumping the fuel. Then the Russian plane flew up and caught the propeller of the drone. The MQ-9 Reaper overturned several times and began to fall.

 John Kirby, a representative of the US National Security Council, said in an interview with CNN that Washington does not want the wreckage of the device to be purchased by anyone other than the Americans. The United States has taken steps to protect its assets, Kirby noted. He did not specify the details.

 The Ministry of Defense of Russia claims that the Russian fighter jets did not come into contact with the American drone, and the drone itself flew with its transponders turned off. The agency also reported that the drone violated the boundaries of the area of ​​the "temporary airspace use regime established for the conduct of a special military operation" (this is what Russia calls hostilities with Ukraine). The Ministry of Defense cited sharp maneuvering as the reason for the fall of the device.

 US President Joe Biden was informed about the incident. Russia's ambassador to the USA, Anatoly Antonov, was summoned to the State Department. The head of the Russian diplomatic mission called the incident with the drone a provocation. At the same time, the diplomat assured that Moscow does not want a confrontation with Washington and is interested in pragmatic relations. Antonov described the conversation at the State Department as constructive.

 The State Department called the actions of the Russian side a provocation that demonstrates a lack of competence and unprofessionalism.

 The MQ-9 Reaper ("Reaper") is considered the main attack drone in the US arsenal. The drone can reach a speed of over 400 kilometers per hour and stay in the air for up to 24 hours.