On Tuesday, an American drone went down in the Black Sea after an incident with a Russian warplane near the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
The drone had to be brought down after it was hit by the Russian plane, according to the Pentagon, which calls Russia’s actions reckless and unprofessional.
After the incident, the Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov was summoned to a meeting with the US State Department. In a statement on Wednesday morning, he said that the incident is instead the United States’ fault.
– We see it as a provocation. The drone was deliberately flown towards Russian territory with transponders turned off, he says.
According to AFP, Antonov calls on the US to stop “hostile” overflights near the Russian border. He maintains that no Russian planes attacked the drone and that Moscow wants “pragmatic” ties with Washington, without any “confrontations” between the countries.
USA: The Black Sea does not belong to any country
The incident has led to several reactions from the American side. Among other things, the US State Department’s spokesperson, Ned Price, has called it a “brazen violation of international law” and John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, says that this will not stop the US from continuing with its missions in the area.
– If the message is to discourage us from flying or operating in international airspace, then that message has failed. We will continue to fly and operate in international airspace and over international waters. The Black Sea does not belong to a single country, says Kirby according to AP.
According to Kirby, the United States has now, without going into more details, taken steps to ensure that the drone does not fall into the wrong hands.
– It is American property and of course we don’t want anyone else to get hold of it, says Kirby according to CNN.