United States: The United States Secretary of Defense Mr. Lloyd Austin has stated that he talked to his Russian counterpart following the recent downing of a US drone over the Black Sea, which Washington has blamed on Moscow.

Mr. Austin has talked with Russian Defense Minister Mr. Sergei Shoigu a day after US officials claimed that 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 discussion would mark the first time that US and Russian military assets have made contact since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, and it has raised concerns of a potential escalation between the two countries.

According to the US Defense Secretary, the US takes “any potential for escalation very seriously and that’s why I believe it’s important to keep the lines of communication open”.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and operate wherever international law allows,” Mr. Austin remarked.

In May 2022, Mr. Austin and Mr. Shoigu talked for the first time about Russia’s offensive, and in October, they spoke twice in three days amid a heightened threat of an escalation in the conflict.

Mr. Austin reiterated the US version of what happened over the Black Sea recently, saying a Russian fighter jet intercepted the US drone in international airspace.

“This hazardous episode is part of a pattern of aggressive, risky, and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace,” the Defence Secretary commented during the news conference alongside US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mr. Mark Milley. The US officials further claimed that the Russian jet dumped fuel on the $30 million drone before the collision.

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