Moscow warns America not to approach its airspace after drone crash

Moscow on Wednesday demanded that Washington stay completely away from its airspace after a US drone, intercepted by two Russian planes, crashed in the Black Sea, in the first declared direct confrontation between the two superpowers since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Washington and Moscow have traded accusations over the incident, which took place in international airspace near territory Russia says it annexed from Ukraine.

Moscow said it showed the United States was directly involved in the war, while Washington called the incident a reckless act by Russia.

Moscow said it would try to retrieve the wreckage of the drone from the sea.

Washington has said he may never be recovered and that steps have been taken to ensure Russia does not gain intelligence from the wreckage.

Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, said: "The Americans continue to say that they are not taking part in military operations. This is the latest confirmation that they are directly involved in these activities, in the war."

The U.S. military said the crash was caused by a mid-air collision after two Russian Su-27 fighter jets approached one of its MQ-9 Reaper drones on a reconnaissance mission over international waters.

Washington said the two fighter jets approached the drone and poured fuel on it before one of them smashed the drone's propeller and plunged into the sea.

Moscow denied there had been a collision and said the drone crashed after "dangerous manoeuvres". It said the plane flew "deliberately and provocatively" close to Russian airspace with transmitters shut down, and Moscow rushed the fighters to identify it.