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Russia unlikely to retrieve anything valuable from fallen MQ-9 drone — Pentagon

Pentagon Spokesman Patrick Ryder pointed out that the US took steps to protect the information aboard the aircraft, adding that the fragments have sunk very deep below the sea surface

WASHINGTON, March 16. /TASS/. The US notes Russia’s attempts to retrieve the US drone that fell into the Black Sea, but believes that it would be impossible to get any valuable information from it, Pentagon Spokesman Patrick Ryder said during a briefing Thursday.

"We do have indications that Russia is likely making an effort to try to recover MQ-9 debris. […] However, we assess it's very unlikely that they would be able to recover anything useful," Ryder said.

He pointed out that the US took steps to protect the information aboard the aircraft, adding that the fragments have sunk very deep below the sea surface.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Aerospace Forces detected a US MQ-9 drone flying near the Crimean Peninsula. The drone was reportedly flying with its transponder turned off and "in violation of the boundaries of the temporary airspace use area, defined in order to carry out the special military operation, which has been conveyed to all airspace users and published in accordance to the international norms."

The Defense Ministry added that the drone’s abrupt maneuvering caused it to lose control, lose altitude and crash into the water. Russian jet fighters did not use its weapons and did not collide with the drone, and successfully returned to their bases, the Ministry said.

The US European Command claims that a Russian Su-27 fighter damaged the drone’s propeller, which caused it to crash into the Black Sea.

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