US releases video claiming Russian jet downed its MQ-9 Reaper drone: What we know so far

Earlier on Wednesday, the two countries’ defence ministers and military chiefs had telephone conversations, one of the rare times they have done so since the war began in February 2022.

Here’s what we know so far.

How did the crash happen?

US drones have been known to carry out reconnaissance missions in and around Ukraine, and the US has claimed that the downed drone was doing so in international airspace – which is not under the legal jurisdiction of any one country – over the Black Sea. According to a CNN report, Russia has been wary of these movements, which have increased particularly after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula right next to the Black Sea.

The US military claimed that two Russian Su-27 fighter planes approached the MQ-9 Reaper drone and sprayed fuel on it before clipping the drone’s propeller, causing it to crash into the sea. The wreckage of the drone has not been recovered yet.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, speaking to MSNBC, said the incident was most likely an unintentional act by Russia. General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, “There is a pattern of behaviour recently where there is a little bit more aggressive actions being conducted by the Russians.”

MQ-9 Reaper drone.#AFPGraphics diagram of the MQ-9 Reaper drone, used for intelligence, surveillance and attack missions.
A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea and then collided with it, causing the drone to crash, US military says pic.twitter.com/3jdUmjcvdF

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 15, 2023

However, Russia has claimed there was no collision and the drone crashed after making “sharp manoeuvres”, having “deliberately and provocatively” flown close to Russian air space. It said it “had no interest in such a development but will in future react in due proportion” and the two countries should “act with a maximum of responsibility”.

“The Americans keep saying they’re not taking part in military operations. This is the latest confirmation that they are directly participating in these activities – in the war,” Kremlin Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said.

What is the MQ-9 Reaper drone?

The remotely piloted MQ-9 “Reaper” can reach up to 50,000 feet for more than 27 hours, gathering intelligence with cameras, sensors and radars. The US Air Force website states it can also carry precision strikes. It has a 66-feet wingspan and a length of 36 feet. It can carry 3,900 pounds of fuel and travel at a speed of 240 knots.

Drones are cheaper than manned aircraft with similar capabilities and are safer for operators since they do not require a pilot. General Atomics says the MQ-9 has “demonstrated an air-to-air weapons capability” in Air Force tests. It can also be equipped with a “Self Protect Pod” that can detect threats and deploy countermeasures against surface-to-air weapons

MQ-9s have also been purchased by NASA and the air forces of the UK, Spain and France. They have previously been used by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan and though they are known for precision strikes, their use has come under criticism as well, over civilian killings.

(With inputs from Reuters)