Russian Media Claims MiG-31 Shot Down High-Altitude U.S. Drone Over the Black Sea

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – A Russian fighter jet is alleged to have shot down a U.S. military drone, either an MQ-9 Reaper or an MQ-4C “Triton,” over the Black Sea airspace.

Claims of the incident leading to the downing of the U.S. military drone in the Black Sea emanated from Russian media outlets closely affiliated with the country’s military.

However, there has been no official confirmation from either the Russian Ministry of Defense or the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon).

In response to the Russian media allegations, pro-Western military social media accounts claim that the U.S. drone merely switched off its transponder while operating in the Black Sea.

They state that flight tracking applications showed that upon returning from the Black Sea operation, the U.S. drone reactivated its transponder, indicating a safe landing at Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, Italy.

Meanwhile, the Russian media further claim that the U.S. drone was shot down by a high-altitude capable Mig-31 fighter jet of the Russian Air Force.

 

The high altitude long endurance (HALE) “Triton” drone, developed by Northrop Grumman and based on the “RQ-4 Global Hawk,” is equipped with sophisticated phased array antenna radar, cameras, and sensors to monitor maritime areas and coastal regions.

 It is operated by a four-person team and can fly for more than 30 hours at altitudes exceeding 60,000 feet.

Russia has expressed intentions to counter the U.S. and NATO drones operating in the Black Sea for intelligence-gathering missions.

 Information collected by these reconnaissance assets, including the maritime patrol aircraft P-8 Poseidon and the MQ-4C Triton drones, is reportedly shared with Ukrainian forces to facilitate more precise targeting of Russian military positions, especially in Crimea.

Calls for Russia to respond to the U.S. drones’ operations in the Black Sea intensified following a recent MGM-140 ATACMS missile attack supplied by Washington to Ukraine, which strike a popular beach in Crimea, resulting in five civilian deaths and over a hundred injuries.

In recent weeks, the U.S. Air Force’s MQ-4C “Triton” drones have begun conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in the Black Sea to closely monitor Russian military movements in Crimea, a region previously belonging to Ukraine but now occupied by Russia.

 

This escalation in drone and reconnaissance aircraft flights over the Black Sea coincides with Ukraine’s intensified missile attacks on Russian military positions in Crimea using MGM-140 ATACMS missiles.

Recently, Russia has threatened to take stronger actions against U.S. and NATO drones conducting flights in the Black Sea.

Moscow, however, has not provided further details on the “actions” it plans to take against these drones actively aiding Ukraine in intelligence sharing, including targeting information.

In an incident in March last year, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted and allegedly “clashed” with the propeller of a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea.

The U.S. military condemned the Russian fighter jet’s actions as “unsafe,” leading to the drone’s crash.

 

At the time of the incident, the drone was believed to be on an ISR mission near Crimea.

 The Russian Ministry of Defense denies any contact with the U.S. drone, claiming it crashed into the Black Sea due to a “sharp maneuver” during the flight. — DSA