Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov on Wednesday called on Washington to stop “hostile” flights near Russian borders, after an American drone intercepted by Russian fighters crashed the day before in the Black Sea.
“We assume that the United States will refrain from further speculation in the media space and will cease flights near Russian borders,” Antonov said in a statement on Telegram.
“We consider any action with the use of American armaments as openly hostile,” he stressed.
“Russia does not seek confrontation and remains for pragmatic cooperation in the interest of the peoples of our countries,” assured Mr. Antonov.
The United States on Tuesday accused the Russian air force of having “intercepted and rammed” an American Reaper drone over the Black Sea and caused it to fall.
Russia has denied these accusations while acknowledging that two of its fighters had intercepted an American drone which had been detected “in the area of the Crimean peninsula” and was advancing “in the direction” of Russia’s borders.
“The Russian fighters did not use their armaments”, and did not come into contact with the drone which was flying “with transponders switched off” and had violated “the zone of the provisional regime of use of airspace established for carry out the special military operation” in Ukraine, according to the Russian army.