Dramatic footage has been released by the US European Command, showing the moment Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on a US Reaper drone before crashing into it. The drone was flying over the Black Sea near Russian-occupied Crimea and the Ukraine frontline on Tuesday when it was taken down by a Russian Su-27 jet.
Prior to the collision, two Su-27s had “dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9” in a “reckless” and “unprofessional” manner. The broken propeller can be seen spinning in the clip before the drone crashes. Russia is now trying to recover the wreckage of the drone, while the US has also confirmed it is searching for remnants.
This incident marks the first time since the height of the Cold War that a US aircraft has been brought down by the Russians. The US European Command has condemned the actions of the Russian fighter jets and is investigating the incident.
