The US military has released footage of a Russian jet crashing into one of its drones over the Black Sea.
The US said the damage to the large drone meant it had to be brought down into the water near Crimea on Tuesday.
Russia denied its Su-27 fighter jet clipped the propeller of the drone, but the video appears to back up the American version of events.
It was in the Pentagon’s interest to release this video – not least to verify its version of events.
In a statement released hours after the crash, the US said Russian jets dumped fuel on the drone several times before the collision.
Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was “unflyable and uncontrollable”, adding the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.
Russia’s defence ministry said the drone crashed after a “sharp manoeuvre”, and that it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.
The Kremlin has not yet responded to the release of the US video. On Wednesday Russia’s security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev said attempts were being made to find and retrieve the remnants of the drone.
On Thursday, Russian ships were seen at the site of the downed drone on the Black Sea, US media reported.
Senior Washington official John Kirby said the US was also searching for the aircraft, but stressed that if Russia beat them to it, “their ability to exploit useful intelligence will be highly minimised”.
That message was reiterated by General Mark Milley, America’s top military general, who said the US has taken “mitigating measures” to ensure there was nothing of value on the downed drone.
