Pentagon shows footage of ‘Russian aircraft dumping fuel on US drone’

Associated Press Reporters

The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a US Air Force surveillance drone in international air space over the Black Sea.

The 42-second video released on Thursday 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 on Tuesday after the fighter jet poured fuel on the unmanned aerial vehicle and then struck its propeller.

Defence 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 after the encounter.

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 US and Russia closer to direct conflict.