US planes and ships should not approach Russia's borders. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Tuesday following consultations at the State Department, where he had been invited over the interception by a Russian fighter jet of an American MQ-9 drone above the Black Sea.
"Most importantly, I think that American planes and ships have no business near the borders of the Russian Federation," the diplomat pointed out. "Can you imagine a plane or a drone like that, suddenly appearing near New York or San Francisco? Can you imagine the reaction of the American media, the Pentagon to such a drone?" he stressed.
"This is a multi-purpose attack drone that can carry 1,700 kilograms of explosives," recalled the Russian ambassador, referring to the American vehicle. He later clarified, speaking in English, that the MQ-9 "can carry several bombs."
Earlier, the Russian defense ministry said that Russian Air Force control means recorded the MQ-9 flight near the Crimean Peninsula on Tuesday morning, it was moving in breach of the borders around the temporary regime of airspace use established to conduct the SMO. According to the ministry, the flight was carried out with the transponders turned off. The ministry added that the device, as a result of sharp maneuvering, went into an uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface. The ministry stressed that the Russian fighters did not use on-board weapons, did not come into contact with the drone and returned safely to their home airfield.
The MQ-9 Reaper is a modular reconnaissance and attack drone developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. It is equipped with a turboprop engine generating more than 400 km/h. The drone has a maximum flight time of 24 hours. It is capable of carrying air-to-ground missiles, air-to-air missiles and laser-guided bombs.
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Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Based on materials from TASS