Pentagon: Russian jet taking down US drone part of 'pattern' of 'aggressive' pilot actions

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday said the U.S. will not stop flights in international airspace after a Russian fighter jet clipped a U.S. drone propeller, causing a crash into the Black Sea. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday the U.S. will not stop flights in international airspace after a Russian fighter jet clipped a U.S. drone propeller, causing a crash into the Black Sea. "I know that everyone here has heard that Russian aircraft again engaged in dangerous, reckless and unprofessional practices on Tuesday in international airspace over the Black Sea," Austin said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks before a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on March 15, 2023, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Austin quickly summarized the incident, explaining, "Two Russian jets dumped fuel on an unmanned U.S. MQ-9 aircraft conducting routine operations in international airspace. And one Russian jet intercepted and hit our MQ-9 aircraft, resulting in a crash."