Pentagon chief speaks to Russian counterpart after drone incident

United States Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin has stated he spoke to his Russian counterpart following this week’s downing of a US drone over the Black Sea, which Washington has blamed on Moscow.

Austin advised reporters that he spoke with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, however declined to supply further particulars on their dialogue.

The uncommon, high-level talks come a day after US officers stated a Russian jet made contact with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, forcing it to be shot down. Moscow has denied {that a} collision occurred.

The incident would mark the primary time that US and Russian army property have made contact for the reason that struggle in Ukraine started in February of final 12 months, and it has fuelled issues of a possible escalation between the 2 nations.

However Austin appeared to indicate restraint throughout a information convention on the Pentagon, saying the US takes “any potential for escalation very severely and that’s why I imagine it’s necessary to maintain the strains of communication open”.

“As I’ve stated repeatedly, it’s necessary that nice powers be fashions of transparency and communication, and the USA will proceed to fly and to function wherever worldwide legislation permits,” Austin stated.

“It’s incumbent upon Russia to function its army plane in a secure {and professional} method.”

Contact between the highest US and Russian defence officers has been comparatively uncommon since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Austin and Shoigu first spoke about Russia’s offensive in Could of final 12 months, and in October, they spoke twice in three days amid a heightened menace of an escalation within the battle.

On Wednesday, Austin reiterated the US model of what occurred over the Black Sea this week, saying a Russian fighter jet intercepted the US drone in worldwide airspace.

“This hazardous episode is a part of a sample of aggressive, dangerous and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in worldwide airspace,” Austin stated through the information convention alongside US Joint Chiefs of Employees Chairman Mark Milley.

The US officers additionally stated the Russian jet dumped gas on the $30m drone earlier than the collision.

Milley stated there have been nonetheless questions as as to whether Russia meant to down the drone, though the moments that led as much as the crash had been “intentional”.

“We all know that the intercept was intentional. We all know that the aggressive behaviour was intentional,” he advised reporters.

“You’ve heard concerning the dumping of gas and every part else. We’ve video proof of all that so there’s no query that that a part of it’s intentional,” he stated. “The precise bodily contact of the plane – that, I’m not so certain. So we’ll should determine that out.”

Milley added that restoration has been hampered by the actual fact the drone went down in 1,219 to 1,524 metres (4,000 to five,000 ft) of water, however stated the US had already taken measures to protect in opposition to a lack of delicate intelligence if the drone had been to be recovered by Russia.

“We’re fairly assured that no matter was of worth is now not of worth,” he stated.

Milley added that he deliberate to speak to his Russian counterpart, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Basic Employees of the Russian armed forces, concerning the incident.

Russia has maintained that whereas its fighter jets intercepted the drone, no contact was made and as an alternative the US plane went down throughout a “sharp manoeuver”.

It additionally has stated that the drone entered an space that was declared off limits by Russian authorities. Russia has declared broad areas close to Crimea off limits to flights.

The US doesn’t recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea following the invasion of the territory in 2014.

Talking after being summoned by the US Division of State over the incident, the Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, stated he advised US officers that Russia would “now not permit anyone to violate our waters”, the TASS information company reported.

Antonov stated the drone “intentionally and provocatively was shifting in the direction of Russian territory with transponders turned off”.

He stated his assembly on the State Division was constructive and the problem of attainable penalties for Moscow over the incident was not raised, the RIA state information company additionally reported on Wednesday.