Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, speaks at a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (AP/Andrew Harnik)
Rhetoric between Russia and the United States is mounting after the incident in which a US drone was shot down near Ukraine.
The defense chiefs of both countries have discussed the event, after five months of no contact. While the Kremlin accuses Washington of involvement in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia is also expressing concern over US surveillance flights. This incident reflects the tensions and risky maneuvers between the two nuclear powers.
In the conversation between defense secretaries, Lloyd Austin called for transparency and communication between powers, while General Mark Milley confirmed that the interception and aggressive behavior were intentional. For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused the United States of provoking the incident and promised a response. Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, pointed to the direct involvement of the United States in the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia is looking for the remains of the drone and the US reports that Russia has sent ships to recover it. However, the United States has no ships in the Black Sea due to Turkey’s closure of the Bosphorus. John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said the drone was in international airspace when it was hit. According to Kirby, encounters with Russian aircraft increase the chance of mistakes and misunderstandings.
The United States has taken steps to protect drone data. Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, assured that Russia is capable of recovering the remains. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s readiness for constructive dialogue. Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov questioned US military actions near Russia’s borders and stressed the importance of open communication and pragmatic cooperation.
Meetings between NATO and Russian aircraft have become more important due to the situation in Ukraine. John Kirby stressed the importance of preventing the United States and Russia from becoming involved in the conflict in Ukraine. The drone incident is being interpreted as a signal from Putin to widen the conflict.
In another episode, British and German planes intercepted a Russian plane near Estonian airspace, but never entered it. In Ukraine, at least three civilians have been killed and 23 others wounded in the past 24 hours, with 14 towns and villages in Donetsk fired on. Ukrainian troops have captured northern Bakhmut, while Kharkiv reported one dead and one wounded. Kherson was also bombed
