The US Armed Forces European Command released video of the impact between a US surveillance drone and a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea on Tuesday. CNN reports it stating that the video has just been declassified describes the critical moments of the mid-air encounter, which the Pentagon says lasted 30-40 minutes. The video shows the MQ-9 Reaper drone’s camera pointing back at its tail and the drone’s propeller, which is mounted on the back, spinning. Then, a Russian Sukhoi SU-27 fighter jet is shown approaching. As it approaches, reports CNN, the Russian fighter unloads fuel while intercepting the US drone. In another part of the footage, the Russian jet makes another pass. As it gets closer, it dumps fuel again. The drone video is then cut short as the Russian fighter jet collides with the MQ-9 Reaper, damaging the propeller and forcing the US to shoot down the drone in the Black Sea. Russia has denied that a collision occurred . When the camera comes back online in the cutscene, the view is pointed backwards again and the prop is shown to be damaged from the collision. With the propeller damaged, drone operators actually flew the plane like a glider as it descended over the Black Sea, shooting it down over international waters southwest of Crimea.
ANSA agency
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