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Footage of a Russian aircraft allegedly conducting an unsafe intercept of a US Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea has been released by the Pentagon.
- The de-classified video has been edited by the US military for length, the Pentagon says
- Russia has denied accusations its jet acted recklessly
- The incident has raised concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to direct conflict
The 42-second video, released Thursday morning local time, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said.
The US military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after the Russian fighter jet poured fuel on the unmanned aerial vehicle and then struck its propeller.
In the video, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet comes very close to the US MQ-9 drone and dumps fuel near it, in what US officials said was an apparent effort to damage the American aircraft as it flew over the Black Sea.
The video also showed the loss of the video feed after another close Russian manoeuvre, which the Pentagon said resulted from the Russian jet's collision with the drone.
It ended with images of the drone's damaged propeller, which the Pentagon said resulted from the collision, making the aircraft inoperable.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley have spoken to their Russian counterparts about the destruction of the US drone following the encounter with Russian fighter jets.
In remarks to reporters on Wednesday, General Milley said it was clear the intercept and harassment of the drone by Russian jets was intentional.
However, he said it was unclear whether the Russian pilots meant to slam their aircraft into the drone — a move that could also put the Russian aircraft at risk.
The calls with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov on Wednesday were the first since October.
While intercept attempts are not uncommon, the incident amid the war in Ukraine has raised concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to direct conflict.
That the two countries's top defence and military leaders were talking so soon after the encounter over the Black Sea underscored its seriousness.
The Pentagon said the video had been edited by the US military for length but showed events in a sequential order.
AP/Reuters