Russian pilots awarded for intercepting US drone over Black Sea in first direct military encounter since Russia-Ukraine war began

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu presented awards to the pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that intercepted a US drone.

The drone had crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by Russian jet.

This is the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the United States since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Announcing the awards, the ministry repeated Russia’s version of events which was disputed by Washington that the Russian planes did not make physical contact with the drone.

“As a result of sharp maneuvering around 9:30 a.m. (Moscow time), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface,” it said.

The ministry said that the drone had been flying with its transponders turned off and violating airspace restrictions that Russia had made public in connection with what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.