US condemns downing of military drone over Black Sea by Russian fighter jet

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian service members fire a howitzer M119 at a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak

NEAR KREMINNA, Ukraine (Reuters) - The United States condemned the downing of a U.S. spy drone by a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea on Tuesday, in an incident that underscored how the Ukraine war has increased the risk of direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington.

Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the MQ-9 "Reaper" drone in international airspace before one of them collided with it at 7:03 a.m. (0603 GMT), causing the drone to crash into the sea.