Shoigu Awards Order Of Courage To Su-27 Pilots Who Prevented Border Violation By US UAV

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu awarded Order of Courage to the pilots that prevented the border violation by a US drone over the Black Sea, the ministry said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2023) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu awarded Order of Courage to the pilots that prevented the border violation by a US drone over the Black Sea, the ministry said on Wednesday.

Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry said a US MQ-9 drone fell in the Black Sea after engaging in sharp maneuvering, noting that Russian fighter jets sent to intercept it did not come into contact with it nor used weapons against it. The ministry said the air control of the Russian Aerospace Forces recorded the flight of the drone in the region of the Crimean peninsula in the direction of the Russian border.

The US European Command earlier said that the incident that resulted in the complete loss of the drone involved a Russian Su-27 aircraft, which allegedly struck the drone's propeller during an "unsafe and unprofessional intercept" over the Black Sea.

"The Orders of Courage were awarded to the pilots of Su-27 aircraft who prevented the violation by the US unmanned aerial vehicle MQ-9 of the borders of the temporary regime for the use of airspace established for the purpose of conducting the special military operation," the statement said.