Former U.S. Amb. to NATO Kurt Volker says the Russian fighter jet collision was'intentional' and requires a'firm response' from the U.S. The Biden administration blasted Russia for honoring two pilots for downing a U.S. drone in international airspace while saying the aviator who crashed into the drone was "at best, just an idiot." Last week, the Kremlin issued state awards to the fighter jet pilots responsible for downing the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea earlier the week prior. In an official statement, the Ministry of Defense commended the pilots for preventing the drone from "violating the boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation." U.S. European Command said a Russian Su-27 fighter jet colliding with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. A screenshot shows a jet dumping fuel.