Recently appointed Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has directed the Russian General Staff to prepare a response to the increasing number of US reconnaissance drone flights over the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that these drones are gathering information to target Russian assets and are evidence of US and NATO involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
Speculation arose on social media after reports surfaced that a Russian MiG-31 fighter may have shot down a US drone. However, Open-source intelligence analyst Oliver Alexander debunked these claims, revealing that the drone safely returned to base in Sicily. Pro-Kremlin milbloggers clarified that the incident involved the Russian interceptor forcing the drone to alter its course.
This incident is reminiscent of a previous encounter in 2023 when Russian aircraft buzzed a US drone over the Black Sea. The RQ-4B Global Hawk, a high-altitude reconnaissance drone with significant capabilities, has been utilized by the US Air Force in various military operations worldwide since 2001.
![Kremlin Orders Generals to Develop Plan for Responding to US Drones near Crimea 1 Russian Oil Depot on Fire After Ukrainian Drone Strike](https://static.kyivpost.com/storage/2024/06/28/7c81d3a09c3508c3999b5df0c8e04401.jpeg?w=420&q=75&f=webp)
Other Topics of Interest
Russian Oil Depot on Fire After Ukrainian Drone Strike
Following a Russian offensive, Ukraine has been launching attacks on Russian energy and defense sites in response to strikes on its own territory.
RQ-4 Global Hawk for strategic reconnaissance of Northrop Grumman UAVs. It can patrol for 30 hours at an altitude of up to 18,000 meters.
departure – 574 km/h. The reach is 22.7 thousand. km.
It is considered the most powerful reconnaissance drone in the world. pic.twitter.com/rbtIB8wOzx
— TOGA (@TOGAjano21) February 25, 2024