The United State military says a Russian fighter plane clipped the propeller of one of its spy drones and made it crash into the Black Sea in the of first such direct encounter between the two powers since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago.
The Russia’s defense ministry offered a different account of yesterday’s incident and its ambassador to the United States said his country viewed the incident involving a U.S. MQ-9 drone and a Russian Su-27 fighter jet as a provocation.
The United States conducts regular surveillance flights in the region and has supported Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid, although it has not become directly engaged in the war.
Russia had shelled dozens of settlements along the eastern front in the past 24 hours including a rocket attack on a civil infrastructure in the Kherson region which caused civilian casualties.
The battlefield reports could not be verified and Russia denies targeting civilians.
