U.S. Defense Secretary Austin said he had spoken by phone with Russian Defense Minister Shoigu over the announcement that an American drone crashed after colliding with a Russian warplane, stressing the importance of maintaining communication between the two countries.
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin held a press conference on the 15th and revealed that he had a telephone conversation with Russian Defense Minister Shoigu on the <>th.
At the meeting, they discussed the announcement that a US military reconnaissance drone collided and crashed over the Black Sea facing southern Ukraine after being sabotaged by Russian fighter jets.
At the press conference, Secretary Austin reiterated his condemnation of the Russian side, saying, "The Russian military aircraft acted dangerously, recklessly and unprofessionally."
On the other hand, he stressed the importance of communication, saying, "We take seriously the possibility of escalating the situation, and it is important that we can be involved on the phone and help prevent miscalculations."
In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense also issued a statement criticizing "Defense Minister Shoigu pointed out that the United States did not protect the flight restriction zone for the special military operation set by Russia and that it was caused by the strengthening of reconnaissance activities."
However, the statement also emphasized the importance of dialogue, saying, "The nuclear powers should act responsibly, including maintaining a channel for military dialogue to discuss any critical situation."
Although the two countries continue to disagree over the crash of the drone, both the United States and Russia agree on the need to maintain dialogue so as not to further escalate the confrontation.