Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Russia blames drone incident on US spying, vows to react ‘proportionately’ in future

Russia blames drone incident on US spying, vows to react ‘proportionately’ in future

Russia’s defense ministry declared on Wednesday that it will respond “proportionately” to any future “provocations” by the US amid escalating tensions following the drone crash incident. The Russian defense minister blamed the incident on increased US intelligence gathering operations.
“Strategic US drone flights off the coast of Crimea are provocative in nature, which creates pre-conditions for an escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” state news agency TASS reported. It added: “Russia is not interested in such a development of events, but it will continue to respond proportionately to all provocations.”

A US military surveillance drone (MQ-9 Reaper) crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after an encounter with Russian Su-27 fighter jets in international airspace. This was the first such incident between Washington and Moscow since the latter launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The US and Russian offered different versions of events, diverging over the cause of the drone’s crash. The US maintains that one of the Russian Su-27 jets clipped the propeller of the drone which led to the crash. Russia denies any physical contact between its jets and the drone and says the drone’s “sharp maneuvering” caused the crash.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held on Wednesday a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu to discuss the drone incident, the first such top-level contact between the two in over five months. The Pentagon said Austin discussed the “unprofessional, dangerous, and reckless behavior” of Russian pilots in international space and stressed that the US “will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.”

At the other end of that call, Shoigu blamed US “increased intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation” and the “non-compliance with the restricted flight zone” as the reasons for the drone incident, TASS reported.

Moscow’s diplomats had warned US officials against violating its territorial waters and airspace. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the US was “ignoring” the fact that Russia had established airspace restrictions in the Black Sea region after it launched its war on Ukraine.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×