Watch: Pentagon hold press briefing after Russian fighter jet forces down US drone
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Watch as the US Department of Defence holds a press briefing after a Russian fighter jet forced down a US drone.
Pentagon press secretary Air Force brigadier general Pat Ryder is holding the briefing, with Mara Karlin also joining.
Karlin performs the duties of deputy undersecretary of defence for policy.
US officials on Tuesday said that Russian fighter jets forced a US drone flying over international waters in the Black Sea out of the sky.
Speaking to CNN, US Air Force general James B Hecker said a pair of Russian Su-27 aircraft performed a “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional” set of manoeuvres.
This, he said, dumped fuel and damaged the propeller of a US Air Force MQ-9 “Reaper” drone, forcing the US to bring down the unmanned craft.
“In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash,” he said.
Sign up for our newsletters.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments