WASHINGTON, March 15. /TASS/. The reconnaissance mission of the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the United States above the Black Sea was a provocation, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov has said.
"The aircraft was flying with its transponders off, and it entered the zone of the special military operation. It [the information about the zone] was made public via international channels. We, Russia, have warned everyone about it. I think this was a real provocation," he told reporters after consultations at the US Department of State, where the diplomat was invited over the incident.
"They provoked us to take a certain action, which would allow them to accuse Russia and the Russian military of being non-professional," the Russian diplomat said, answering to a question from TASS.
In Antonov’s words, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried expressed US concerns over the incident during these consultations.
"The US side has voiced its protest over what they described as unprofessional actions of the Russian side," the diplomat said.
When asked whether it was the first incident in which a US aircraft was spotted near the Russian border, flying with its transponders turned off, the ambassador said the question should be referred to "our colleagues from the Defense Ministry."
He reaffirmed that the Russian fighter jets did not use weapons against the US aircraft.
"I would like to stress that Russian pilots acted in a very professional manner. There was no contact, no use of weapons on the part of our fighter jets," Antonov added.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian airspace control systems have detected an American MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle on Tuesday, flying over the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula towards the state border of the Russian Federation. The drone flew with its transponders off, violating the boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation, communicated to all users of international airspace, and published in accordance with international standards.
The ministry added that as a result of quick maneuvering, the drone went into an unguided flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface. The ministry stressed that the Russian aircraft did not use on-board weapons, did not come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and returned safely to their home airfield.
MQ-9 Reaper is a modular reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. It is equipped with a turboprop engine and can develop a speed of more than 400 kilometer per hour. The maximal flight duration is 24 hours. The drone is capable of carrying air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles, and laser-guided bombs.