The United States vowed to persist with its aerial surveillance operations in international airspace and condemned the actions of Russian fighter pilots who collided with an American drone, prompting concerns about the possibility of increased tensions between Washington and Moscow regarding Ukraine.

In addition, it aimed to convey its displeasure with Russia. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Army General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are anticipated to converse with their Russian counterparts on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

On Tuesday, an incident that occurred over the Black Sea has prompted concerns among some Pentagon officials. They are questioning whether Russia’s actions were intended to dissuade the US from providing additional military assistance to Ukraine, such as intelligence sharing.

The incident involved the harassment of the MQ-9 Reaper, which some believe may have been an attempt to compel the US to disable and crash it into the Black Sea.

Kyiv has received over $30 billion in military aid and equipment from the U.S., along with intelligence that Ukraine utilizes to target Russian forces, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Following the incident in which a Russian Su-27 jet fighter knocked out of the sky a MQ-9 surveillance drone flown from Romania and guided into the Black Sea, both sides have urged for calm.

Nevertheless, the ongoing U.S. sorties create the possibility for further collisions in the progressively congested airspace over the Black Sea.

Written by staff