The US Air Force has released footage captured on March 14, 2023, that shows two Russian Su-27 fighter jets flying close to a US MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea.

In a statement issued, the US Air Force authorities said, “The Russian jets carried out an “unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of the MQ-9 Reaper drone, which was on a routine mission over international waters.”

The incident escalated when the Russian jets dumped fuel on the US drone and struck its propeller, resulting in the loss of control and the eventual crash of the unmanned aircraft.