An American drone was taken down by a Russian jet, sparking tensions between the two main powers in the Ukraine war.
The two main powers directly involved in the war in Ukraine experienced their first tete-a-tete on the ground… or rather on the air. An American and Russian aircraft clashed together on the Black Sea, causing the former to plunge into the water below.
The American Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was performing its routine surveillance check of the Ukrainian front, when it was targeted by two Russian jets. The jets approached the drone to pour fuel onto it, thus blinding its surveillance capabilities, when one of the two crashed into the UAV.
Likely damaged, the jet flew away while the drone malfunctioned and crashed into the Black Sea.
This sparked immediate tensions between Moscow and Washington. The American high command accused Russia of recklessness. “In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash,” said US air force general James Hecker.
On the other hand, the Kremlin used the drone’s presence on the Black Sea as proof of American general involvement in the war. Moscow pointed out that the drone was collecting surveillance for Ukraine, their direct enemy.
“I stressed that the American UAV that was moving deliberately and provocatively towards the Russian territory with its transponders turned off,” said Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov. “It violated the boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation,” he continued, “which was communicated to the all concerned users of international airspace in accordance with international norms”.
An escalating conflict
The accident comes amid heavy fighting on the ground around the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut. Both sides are adamant in the holding of the city. The Russians believe it is a strategically crucial hub, connecting the main cities in the Donbass, while Ukraine took it as a matter of prestige.
The Russians are making slow gains around the city in the attempt to surround it, though the battle is far from over.
In the meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine are likely planning a new offensive to possibly finish the war in 2023. Russian president Vladimir Putin was said to have planned an attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from the north, attempting to cut his enemy’s head.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian high command, along with its Western allies, is likely planning an offensive to reconquer Crimea. The Crimean peninsula was occupied by Russia in 2014, and its loss is thought to be the final turning point of the war.
Indeed, the American drone flying over the Black Sea was likely gathering intelligence for an attack on Crimea. This might be only the first of many other accidents to come.
