The declassified footage shows an Su-27 Flanker jet making two exceptionally close passes of the uncrewed drone on Tuesday, spraying fuel in front of it, a harassment tactic that US experts say has not been seen before.
On the second pass, the Su-27 moves so close to the MQ-9 Reaper that the image briefly becomes pixelated, indicating a collision.
When the camera recovers, a bent propeller wing can be seen-damage sufficiently serious for the US air force to bring the drone down. It fell into international waters in the Black Sea, and senior Russian officials have said they hope to salvage it.
The head of US Central Command, Gen Erik Kurilla, said Russian planes had also become more aggressive towards US bases in Syria over the past two weeks, flying loaded with weapons "in an attempt ... to be provocative".
"What we are seeing is an increase recently in the unprofessional and unsafe behaviour of the Russian air force in the region," Kurilla told the Senate armed services committee. "We have seen a significant spike since about 1 March," he added.
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Denne historien er fra March 17, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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