Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Friday an increase in U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, warning that these flights could lead to “direct confrontation” with NATO.
“These flights multiply the likelihood of airspace incidents with Russian Air and Space Force aircraft, which increases the risk of a direct confrontation between the alliance and Russia,” the ministry stated.
The ministry also accused Washington of using these flights to assist Ukraine in striking targets on Russian territory, stating, “This demonstrates the increasing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime.”
This announcement follows Moscow’s recent accusation that the U.S. military helped Ukrainian forces guide long-range missiles for an attack on annexed Crimea on Sunday, which resulted in the death of four people, including a child.
The Pentagon responded, saying that the Ukrainians “make their own decisions” about where to launch strikes.
Russia’s military added that Defense Minister Andrei Belousov called for measures “to promptly respond to provocations” from U.S. drones over the Black Sea.
On Tuesday, pro-war Russian bloggers claimed that a Russian fighter jet shot down a U.S. Global Hawk reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea. Both the Kremlin and the U.S. military said they could not confirm the incident, and Russia’s Defense Ministry did not comment on the alleged shoot-down.
The United States regularly conducts drone flights over the Black Sea, asserting that these operations are conducted in neutral airspace and comply with international law.
In March 2023, Russia intercepted a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, heightening fears of direct confrontation between the two nuclear powers amid escalating tensions over the war in Ukraine.
