Source: Antiwar.com
“US European Command said Tuesday that a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone collided with a Russian Su-27 fighter jet. The Russian Defense Ministry denied the idea that the aircraft came in contact and said the drone crashed into the water after making a sharp maneuver. … The Russian Defense Ministry said the drone was flying with its transponders off over the Black Sea near Crimea in an area that was declared off-limits by Russia. It said Russian fighters were sent to intercept the MQ-9. The ministry said that ‘as a result of sharp maneuver, the US drone went into uncontrollable flight with a loss of altitude’ and crashed into the water. Gen. James B. Hecker, the commander of US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, claimed the MQ-9 was conducting a ‘routine’ flight and insisted the aircraft collided.”