MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that US authorities answer the question of how much the American MQ-9 drone intercepted by a Russian fighter over the Black Sea actually cost.

"So how much did the drone cost? Can US officials at least answer this simple question?" the diplomat wrote on her Telegram channel on Friday.

The US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in the international waters of the Black Sea on March 14. As Russia’s Defense Ministry reported, the American reconnaissance drone flew with its transponders switched off towards the Russian border and intruded into the area covered "by the temporary regime for the airspace use established for the purposes of the special military operation and brought to the notice of all users of international airspace and published in accordance with international norms."

The US drone lost control "as a result of an abrupt maneuver" and crashed into the water while the Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept the intruder did not employ their onboard armaments and did not enter into contract with the UAV, the ministry specified.

According to the US version, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted the MQ-9 reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea and released jet fuel on it several times. Finally, as Washington claims, one of the fighters struck the drone’s propeller, causing it to crash.