FALCON POWERS – The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Friday that the activity of US strategic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing over the Black Sea, where they are conducting reconnaissance and target identification operations. This, the ministry said, involves the United States and NATO countries in the Ukrainian conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated, “The Russian Defense Ministry notes an increase in the intensity of flights of US strategic unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea, which are conducting reconnaissance and target identification for high-precision weapons supplied by Western countries to the Ukrainian armed forces to strike Russian targets.”
It explained that this “indicates the growing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine, alongside the Kyiv regime,” according to the Russian news website Sputnik. It added: “Such flights greatly increase the likelihood of incidents in the airspace of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which increases the risk of direct confrontation between the alliance and Russia,” stressing that “NATO countries will be responsible for this.”
The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry continued: “Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belouosov has issued instructions to the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to take measures for a rapid response to provocations.”
Earlier, a deputy in the State Duma from the Republic of Crimea, reserve Lieutenant General Leonid Ivlev, confirmed that US reconnaissance drones in the Black Sea pose a threat to southern Russia’s security.
It is worth noting that the United States regularly launches drones over the Black Sea, claiming they are operating in international airspace in accordance with international law.
In March 2023, Russia intercepted a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, heightening concerns about the potential for a direct confrontation between the nuclear powers amid increasing tensions related to the Ukrainian conflict.
