Shoigu and Pentagon chief Austin discussed the incident with the US drone over the Black Sea
Defense Minister Russia Sergei Shoigu and head Pentagon Lloyd Austin in a phone conversation, they discussed the incident with a drone over the Black Sea, reports RIA News.
The conversation took place at the initiative of the American side, the Ministry of Defense stressed. After a conversation with Shoigu, Austin said major powers should set an example of transparency and openness in communications.
However, the Pentagon chief refused to divulge the content of the conversation with his Russian counterpart. He also assured that UNITED STATES take seriously the risk of climbing around Ukraine.
Associated materials:
What happened?
March 14 became known about the collision of an American drone and a Russian fighter Su-27 over the Black Sea. Later in Ministry of Defense of Russia confirmed that an American-made MQ-9 drone fell into the Black Sea.
Later, CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand reportedthat US Air Force operators operating the MQ-9 drone erased the drone’s software before it crashed in the Black Sea to prevent its capture by the Russian military.
The United States remotely wiped sensitive software from the MQ-9 Reaper drone before it crashed into the Black Sea to prevent Russia from collecting classified information
By words head of the press office US State Department net priceRussia’s actions in the case of the UAV that crashed into the Black Sea, most likely, were not deliberate.
Climbing hazard
It should be noted that Shoigu, in a telephone conversation with Austin, said that US Global Hawk drone flights off the coast Crimea present a risk of escalation. led words Telegramchannel of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
During the conversation, it was noted that the flights of American strategic unmanned aerial vehicles off the coast of Crimea are provocative in nature, which creates preconditions for an escalation of the situation in the sea zone Black
Associated materials:
Kremlin response
Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskovcommenting on the situation with the American MQ-9 Reaper, saidthat the American side should not fly where it is not supposed to fly.
Maybe it was not necessary to fly there, who is not supposed to? So it would be eco-friendly
Thus, the Kremlin spokesman responded to accusations that the downing of the drone and the alleged spillage of fuel from the Russian fighter, which is alleged in Washingtonare non-environmental.
Negotiations between the Chiefs of General Staff of Russia and the United States
On March 15, the Russian Ministry of Defense also reportedthat the chief Army General Staff Russia Valery Gerasimov had telephone conversations with the Chairman of the United States Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff Marc Milley. The ministry noted that the conversation took place in the development of negotiations between Shoigu and Austin.
Before that, Milli said he intended to speak with Gerasimov after the incident with a US drone in the airspace over the Black Sea.
“I plan to speak with my colleague General Gerasimov,” Milley said Wednesday, March 15, at a press conference. He added that the conversation had already been scheduled.