MOSCOW: Russia will continue to respond proportionally to future US ‘provocations’, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said a day after the Russian Su-27 fighter jet downed a US military drone over the Black Sea, TASS reported.
Russia will continue to respond proportionately to any provocations similar to the flight of US drones near the Russian border, Shoigu said.
According to TASS News Agency, Shoigu made the comment during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday (local time) where they exchanged views on the causes and consequences of the US unmanned aerial vehicle incident.
“The focus was on an exchange of views on the causes and consequences of the US unmanned aerial vehicle incident that crashed into the Black Sea on March 14 this year,” the ministry said.
The ministry said Shoigu said the incident was caused by US actions that disregarded flight restrictions Russia placed on a particular area because of the special operation, and by enhanced intelligence gathering directed against Russia.
During their phone call, Shoigu told Austin that the drone incident was caused by the US not respecting flight restrictions imposed by Russia on certain areas, TASS reported, citing the Defense Department.
Shoigu said flights with US drones near the Crimean coast are provocative and create conditions for an escalation of the situation, the Russian ministry said.
Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Russia their aircraft will continue to “fly and operate where international law allows”, a day after Russia’s Su-27 fighter jet downed a US military drone over the Black Sea, reported CNN.
At the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Austin said this “episode is part of a pattern of aggressive, high-risk and unsafe actions in international airspace.”
“So make no mistake, the United States will continue to fly and operate where international law allows. And it is Russia’s duty to operate as a military aircraft in a safe and professional manner,” he added.
Austin was the first cabinet member in the administration to directly address the incident, which occurred Tuesday when two Russian Su-27 aircraft intercepted a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, CNN reported.
The downing of the drone marked the first time Russian and US military jets have come into direct physical contact since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the Russian defense ministry said the US drone, an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle, was spotted flying over the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula, violating area boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established during the special operation . .
Meanwhile, the US State Department summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to convey “our strong objections,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN.
Price also stated that US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy “has delivered a strong message to the Russian State Department”.
Russia will continue to respond proportionately to any provocations similar to the flight of US drones near the Russian border, Shoigu said.
According to TASS News Agency, Shoigu made the comment during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday (local time) where they exchanged views on the causes and consequences of the US unmanned aerial vehicle incident.
“The focus was on an exchange of views on the causes and consequences of the US unmanned aerial vehicle incident that crashed into the Black Sea on March 14 this year,” the ministry said.
The ministry said Shoigu said the incident was caused by US actions that disregarded flight restrictions Russia placed on a particular area because of the special operation, and by enhanced intelligence gathering directed against Russia.
During their phone call, Shoigu told Austin that the drone incident was caused by the US not respecting flight restrictions imposed by Russia on certain areas, TASS reported, citing the Defense Department.
Shoigu said flights with US drones near the Crimean coast are provocative and create conditions for an escalation of the situation, the Russian ministry said.
Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Russia their aircraft will continue to “fly and operate where international law allows”, a day after Russia’s Su-27 fighter jet downed a US military drone over the Black Sea, reported CNN.
At the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Austin said this “episode is part of a pattern of aggressive, high-risk and unsafe actions in international airspace.”
“So make no mistake, the United States will continue to fly and operate where international law allows. And it is Russia’s duty to operate as a military aircraft in a safe and professional manner,” he added.
Austin was the first cabinet member in the administration to directly address the incident, which occurred Tuesday when two Russian Su-27 aircraft intercepted a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, CNN reported.
The downing of the drone marked the first time Russian and US military jets have come into direct physical contact since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the Russian defense ministry said the US drone, an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle, was spotted flying over the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula, violating area boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established during the special operation . .
Meanwhile, the US State Department summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to convey “our strong objections,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN.
Price also stated that US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy “has delivered a strong message to the Russian State Department”.
