Russia intercepts US drone over Black Sea, fends it off
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The Defense Ministry says Russia sent a Su-30 fighter jet into the Black Sea to "prevent a violation of the Russian state border" by a US Reaper MQ-9 military drone.
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An MQ-9 Reaper, armed with laser-guided munitions and Hellfire missiles, is seen over southern Afghanistan. (US Air Force)
A US Reaper MQ-9 military drone over the Black Sea was intercepted and fended off by a Russian Su-30 fighter jet Saturday.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday, Russia deployed a Su-30 fighter jet to "prevent a violation of the Russian state border" by a US Reaper MQ-9 military drone over the Black Sea.
The Ministry elaborated that "as the Russian fighter approached, the foreign reconnaissance drone performed a U-turn away from the border."
"The Russian aircraft returned safely to its airbase, there was no violation of the border," the Ministry added.
Read more: Russia to retaliate if US keeps flying drones over Black Sea: Moscow
In the past few months, Russia has intercepted several Western fighter jets that came close to the country's borders as the war rages on.
In May, Russian fighter jets intercepted a total of 4 US strategic bomber planes over the Baltic Sea and forced them to change direction after the aircraft violated the country's state border.
At the time, the US European Command, in turn, said the incident that resulted in the complete loss of the drone involved a Russian Su-27 aircraft, which allegedly struck the drone's propeller during an "unsafe and unprofessional intercept" over the Black Sea.
In March, a US MQ-9 drone fell in the Black Sea after engaging in sharp maneuvering, noting that Russian fighter jets that were sent to intercept it did not come into contact with it or use weapons against it.
Russia vows revenge for attack on tanker near Crimean bridge
In another context, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated Saturday that Russia condemns the terrorist attack against one of its civilian vessels in the Kerch Strait and vowed it will retaliate against those responsible.
A sea drone attack targeted Russia's SIG tanker located close to Crimea, on Saturday, and damaged its engine room, according to Russia's Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport.
The agency stated that "the SIG tanker ... received a hole in the engine room near the waterline on the starboard side, preliminarily as a result of a sea drone attack," however, it also underscored that there were no casualties.
Also on Saturday, Alexander Savchuk, the head of the Center Group of Force's press office, told Sputnik that the Russian armed forces foiled attacks by Ukraine targeting the mechanized bridges "in the Krasnolymansk direction, in the areas of the Torsky section and the forest area of Serebryansky."
Savchuk further revealed that Ukraine, in its failed attempts, lost "up to 90 militants, and an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored vehicles and two mortars were destroyed," reaffirming that the "artillery fire and strikes by the army aviation of the Center Group foiled attack."
