WASHINGTON D.C. – Pentagon officials Tuesday afternoon confirmed a Russian jet has downed a U.S. Reaper drone over the Black Sea.
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is similar to the one stationed at San Angelo Regional Airport Mathis Field for U.S. Customs and Border Security.
In a statement released Tuesday, officials say two Russian fighter jets harassed the Reaper drone and dumped fuel on it in an attempt to crash the plane.
“At approximately 7:03 AM (CET), one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” US Air Force Gen. James B.Hecker, commander, US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa said in the statement.
This is a developing story.
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