Europe 1 with AFP 6:34 p.m., March 14, 2023

An American Reaper drone was hit on Tuesday by a Russian Su-27 fighter plane over the Black Sea, an area particularly monitored by NATO since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.

John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council of the American executive spoke of a "rash" and "unique" incident.

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet struck an American Reaper drone on Tuesday over the Black Sea, an area closely monitored by NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine, the American army announced.

"Our MQ-9 drone was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in the crash and loss of the MQ-9," said General James Hecker, commander of the American armed forces in Europe and Africa.

John Kirby, spokesman for the US Executive's National Security Council, noted that there have been interceptions of US drones by Russian aircraft in the past, but added that this incident was "rash" and " unique", not least because it resulted in the loss of the Reaper.

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