The US is considering abandoning the use of reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea after the destruction of the MQ-9 Reaper
The United States is analyzing its drone operations in the Black Sea region after Russia shot down one of them. The Pentagon is assessing the benefits and risks of the flights. The US military continues to use drones like the MQ-9 Reaper to monitor the crash site and keep tabs on the Russian military, but there is a discussion about abandoning such missions altogether.
This was reported by CNN.
It should be reminded that Russia single-handedly imposed a no-fly zone over almost the entire Black Sea at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, taking advantage of the fact that it controls the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed from Ukraine. Other countries in the Black Sea region, fearing Russia’s aggressive actions, try to comply with the restrictions and avoid flying into the danger zones, despite the fact that such actions are illegal and not supported by any international acts or agreements.
The US military is currently reviewing drone routes, assessing how to avoid conflict with the Russian military, which often flies over the Black Sea far from Crimea. The Pentagon is analyzing the costs and benefits of such missions, taking into account the risk of escalating the conflict with Russia.
Although some in the US military are concerned about the possible impact of the restrictions on intelligence gathering, the US has alternatives, such as spy satellites. The US military is planning another drone flight over the Black Sea in the near future.
The collision between the Russian Su-27 fighter jets and the US drone took place near Crimea, but still over neutral waters. Russia accuses the US of violating its airspace, but the US does not recognize this, respectively, because Russia’s zone of responsibility over this part of the sea is not recognized by the civilized world. A video released by the Pentagon earlier shows Russian fighter jets attacking the drone. The United States shot down the damaged drone over the Black Sea, as it was rendered useless after being damaged by Russian fighter jets.
Now, the Russians want to try to retrieve the drone from the bottom of the sea. The Americans are closely monitoring these actions, but so far have not interfered with them.
