Russia provides state awards to pilots behind US drone crash

The Russian authorities has awarded the pilots concerned within the harassment and crash of a U.S. drone in worldwide airspace.

Russian minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu introduced state awards to the fighter jet pilots answerable for downing a U.S. drone over the Black Sea earlier this week. 

US VIDEO SHOWS MOMENT RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET COLLIDES WITH US DRONE

Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, attend a wreath-laying ceremony on the Eternal Flame and the Unknown Soldier’s Grave in Alexander Garden throughout an occasion marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow. (PAVEL BEDNYAKOV/Sputnik/AFP by way of Getty Images)

In an official assertion, the Ministry of Defense recommended the pilots for stopping the drone from “violating the boundaries of the non permanent airspace regime established for the particular navy operation.” 

The assertion accuses the U.S. drone of flying with its transponders off.

RUSSIA FLYING MORE ARMED AIRCRAFT OVER US BASES IN SYRIA, US CENTCOM COMMANDER SAYS

U.S. European Command on Thursday launched video of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet colliding with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, March 14. A screenshot reveals a jet dumping gasoline. (US European Command)

The Russian Ministry of Defense stood by its earlier claims that the plane at no level touched the drone, regardless of U.S. video present a jet clipping its propeller, forcing the drone to crash into the Black Sea.

“The Russian plane didn’t use on-board weapons, didn’t come into contact with the unmanned aerial car, and returned safely to their dwelling airfield,” the ministry said.

RUSSIAN SHIPS AT US DRONE CRASH SITE IN BLACK SEA, US OFFICIAL SAYS: ‘THEY WASTED NO TIME’

Video reveals a broken propeller on a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was struck by a Russian Su-17 fighter jet over the Black Sea, March 14, 2023. (US European Command)

U.S. Central Command has seen extra “unprofessional” and “unsafe” conduct from Russian pilots in Syria since March 1, a commander mentioned Thursday.

Gen. Michael Kurilla defined the continued harassment of U.S. forces within the area at a gathering of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a gathering of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin along with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on the Kremlin in Moscow on March 15, 2023.  (VLADIMIR GERDO/SPUTNIK/AFP by way of Getty Images)

The common defined that Russian plane have change into emboldened to behave aggressively towards U.S. bases in a method not typical of an organized navy power.