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US refuses to follow Russia’s Black Sea airspace guidelines — White House official

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby claimed that US aircraft, including the MQ-9 Reaper drone that fell into the Black Sea earlier this week, are "flying in international airspace legally"

WASHINGTON, March 17. /TASS/. The United States is not going to observe the restrictions, imposed by Russia in the Black Sea airspace in connection with its special military operation in Ukraine, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby has told reporters.

"They [Russia] can announce whatever they want. They can say whatever they want," he said. "We're going to continue to fly and operate in accordance with international law."

Kirby also claimed that US aircraft, including the MQ-9 Reaper drone that fell into the Black Sea earlier this week, are "flying in international airspace legally."

The US Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle MQ-9 Reaper crashed into international waters of the Black Sea on March 14. The Russian Defense Ministry said the drone was flying toward the Russian border and its transponders were turned off. The aircraft entered "the area where temporary airspace rules were established for the purpose of conducting a special military operation," according to the ministry. The ministry said the drone went out of control due to quick maneuvering and subsequently crashed, while Russian fighter jets that escorted the drone didn’t engage their weapons and didn’t come in any contact with the UAV.

According to the US version of events, a pair of Russian Su-27 aircraft intercepted the MQ-9 while it was on a recon mission and dumped their fuel several times toward the drone. Ultimately one of the jets hit the propeller of the drone, prompting its crash.

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