US and Russian military make first contact in Ukraine war after Russian jet brings down US drone over Black Sea
A US MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the Black Sea after its propeller was clipped by a Russian Su-27 fighter plane on March 14, in the first physical contact between Russia and the US military since the war in Ukraine started over a year ago.
The US military claimed that the Russian fighter jet had conducted a reckless intercept and dumped fuel on the drone, possibly attempting to damage or blind it, before colliding with it.
The Russian defence ministry denied the US account and said that the drone had been detected near the Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Ukraine's President Voldoymyr Zelenskiy said that military commanders were unanimously in favour of defending the eastern frontline, including the ruined city of Bakhmut, which has been under siege by Russia for over nine months.
The incident highlights fears that the conflict in Ukraine might escalate and lead to a direct confrontation between Nato and Russia, resulting in WWIII.
Related Articles
Austria’s RBI ups profit in Russia in 1Q25
Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) increased its pre-tax profit in Russia in 1Q25 by over 25% year on year to €575mn ($651mn) due to the stronger ruble, Reuters reports. In ... more
Russian VTB Bank surprises with $3bn dividend for 2024
The board of Russia’s second-largest bank state controlled VTB recommended paying out RUB275.8bn ($2.97bn) in total dividends for 2024, according to Interfax corporate disclosure portal. As ... more
Russia’s Sberbank posts record profit of $5bn in 1Q25
Russia’s largest bank Sberbank (Sber) increased its profit by 10% year on year to record-high RUB436bn ($4.7bn) in 1Q25, making a return on equity of 22%, according to the bank’s announcement. ... ... more
Most Read
-
Armenia courts African countries to supply diamond industry
17 days ago
-
Russia’s Alrosa finds its largest diamond ever, as Mirny mining operations restart
21 hours ago
-
COMMENT: Embracing “Greater Central Asia” has become a strategic imperative for US
11 days ago
-
From blood diamonds to critical minerals: Sierra Leone’s mining transformation
18 days ago