The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the MQ-9 «Reaper» drone crashed «as a result of sharp maneuvering,» rather than the actions of Russian fighter jets.
The Russian military has claimed that a U.S. drone that crashed over the Black Sea downed itself following «sharp maneuvering.»
The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday that two «reckless» Russian fighter pilots forced the MQ-9 «Reaper» drone to plummet into the Black Sea after colliding with it over international waters. A short time later, Russia’s Ministry of Defense offered its own explanation, claiming that the U.S. was entirely at fault for the drone’s destruction.
A statement from the ministry said that the drone had «violated» airspace by flying toward the Russian-occupied territory of Crimea with its transponders turned off. Russian jets were then sent to «identify the violator» but did not use weapons or make contact with the U.S. aircraft, according to the ministry.
«As a result of sharp maneuvering around 9.
