"The rudeness and habits of the bully from the doorway are becoming a habit of official representatives in Washington. It is an obvious cowardice to insult officers of the Russian army, formally being a person in uniform, who should have respected the officer's honor and dignity, "the embassy said in a statement.
Diplomats stressed that Kirby behaves this way, being safe thousands of kilometers from places where, thanks to the "hawks" from the White House, "the blood of the civilian population has been pouring for 9 years."
On March 14, Russian pilots intercepted an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, which then fell into the Black Sea. The pilots did not use weapons or come into contact with the UAV.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu awarded the pilots with the Order of Courage.
John Kirby, who serves as coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, has since criticized the awarding of the pilot who intercepted the MQ-9 Reaper. He stated that he did not understand why the pilot was awarded, and also noted that "at best, he is just an idiot."