Reaper Down

In an event that has placed international tensions on high alert, Tuesday saw a US military MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone crash helplessly into the Black Sea shortly after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets. It is the first such episode of such an event since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war almost 13 months ago.

United States military commanders call the incident “unsafe and unprofessional.”

Graphic from the Institute for the Study of War showing the area where the Reaper drone was downed by Russian fighter jets.

 

As reported in The Guardian, US European Command has put out multiple statements regarding the downing of the American aircraft. They tell how, around 7 AM local time Tuesday morning, two Russian Su-27 Flankers approached the done over international waters west of Crimea.