A Russian fighter jet has collided with a US drone over the Black Sea, forcing the US to bring down its unmanned aircraft, the American military says.
It says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets tried to intercept it, reports the BBC.
The “unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians” nearly caused one of the fighter jets and the drone to crash, the US European command added.
US and allied forces will continue to operate in the area, it said.
“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” said US Air Force Gen James Hecker.
MQ-9 Reaper drones are large unmanned aircraft designed for high-altitude surveillance.