[REGNUM] The head of the Russian Defense Ministry presented Su-27 pilots for awards after the fall of a US drone
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu presented the Su-27 pilots who tracked the American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea for state awards, the Russian Defense Ministry reports on March 17.
At the same time, it is specified that the fact of preventing violation of the boundaries of the area of ​​the temporary regime for the use of airspace, established for the purpose of conducting a special military operation, is worthy of the award. The Russian military had no contact with the drone itself.
The explanation states that the aircraft went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface.
"Russian fighters did not use airborne weapons, they did not come into contact with an unmanned aerial vehicle and safely returned to their base airfield," the Russian Defense Ministry explained.
Recall that on the morning of March 14, 2023, a flight of an American MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle was recorded over the Black Sea in the region of the Crimean Peninsula. The drone was flying with transponders turned off, violating the borders of the temporary airspace use area.
In order to identify the intruder, Su-27 fighters from the air defense forces on duty were lifted into the air, but the pilots did not come into contact with the MQ-9 and returned safely to the base airfield, the Russian military department noted.
The incident received a wide public outcry and a negative assessment of some American politicians. The Pentagon claims that Russian pilots dumped fuel on the drone, causing the device to sink.
"One of the options that has been applied is a wake jet. If a fighter passes under the drone and turns on the afterburner, then when it hits the wake, a powerful wave of exhaust air and fuel will occur, and it will spin in the air," explained military expert Vladislav Shurygin.
According to him, whatever the method chosen by our combat pilots, he says that they are professionally trained.
Meanwhile, in the information field, it got to the point that Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev verbally besieged US Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham, who demanded to shoot down the planes of the Russian Armed Forces after the incident. According to Medvedev, " against the background of statements by American bastards like Senator Graham that it is necessary to shoot down Russian planes, accidents sometimes happen with such" creatures."