China News Network, March 3 -- According to a comprehensive report, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, the first "direct air contest" between the United States and Russia has suddenly escalated the situation in the Black Sea region.

On the 14th local time, US and Russian military aircraft met over the Black Sea, and the US drone then fell into the sea. What is the "cause and effect" of this incident? On the 15th, US Secretary of Defense Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a phone call, and the two sides had their own words.

Infographic: U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin.

Mei: Will keep flying!

Russia: Respond to provocations!

The Associated Press said that the call between Austin and Shoigu was the first call between the two in nearly half a year, and Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, also had a similar call.

U.S. Defense Secretary Austin said the U.S. will continue to fly and operate anywhere international law allows, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the cause of the incident was "the US side did not comply with the relevant regulations of the Russian side announcing the establishment of a flight restriction zone when conducting a special military operation, and increased intelligence activities aimed at Russian interests."

Infographic: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

According to TASS, Shoigu said in the call that "the flight of US strategic drones near the coast of Crimea is provocative, which will induce an escalation of the situation in the Black Sea region." ”

Shoigu also said that Russia is "not interested in the development of events, but will continue to respond accordingly to all provocations."

Falling into the deep sea,

American drones can't be recovered?

The MQ-9 drone, which fell in the Black Sea, is considered the most powerful multifunctional drone in the United States, containing some of the most advanced American technology, but its salvage work does not seem to be easy. According to the Associated Press, the plane crashed into water at depths of 1200 to 1500 meters.

The U.S. military has said it intends to recover parts of the $3200 million drone, and is discussing salvage but it is much more difficult, and there are currently no U.S. ships in the Black Sea.

Data map: On November 2022, 11, an MQ-4 Reaper drone waits to fly on the US-Mexico border.

Kirby, strategic communications coordinator of the US National Security Council, said in an interview with CNN on the 15th that the crashed drone has not been recovered, "and I'm not sure if I can find it." The sea water in the area where it crashed is very deep, and we are still evaluating whether salvage work can be carried out. Maybe it's not possible at all. ”

Kirby said the U.S. is taking steps to ensure that drones that crash over the Black Sea don't fall into the "wrong hands" and that "we have taken steps to protect our rights and interests in specific drones, specific aircraft." This is American property, and we obviously don't want to see anyone but us touch it. ”

According to Russian media reports, Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Federal Security Council, said that it is not certain whether it can be successfully salvaged, but this work must be done. Naryshkin, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, said that Russia has the technical capabilities to salvage crashed American drones.

How do accidents happen?

The United States and Russia have their own words

After the accident, the two sides continued to argue over the cause of the crash.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, the MQ-9 drone was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets, one of which hit the drone's propeller, forcing the drone to crash in Black Sea waters.

Data map: On June 2017, 6, Russian Su-19 fighters intercepted a US RC-27U reconnaissance aircraft in the air.

According to the US side, before the impact, the Su-27 fighter had "repeatedly dumped fuel on the US drone and flew to its front."

The Russian Ministry of Defense stressed that the US drone lost control due to violent maneuvering and fell into the water after losing altitude rapidly. The Russian side did not use airborne weapons, did not make contact with the US drone, and returned safely to the stationed airfield.

Russia's claim that fighter jets did not come into contact with drones was refuted by the US military. Milley said "we have absolute evidence of contact," but it's unclear whether the collision itself was intentional.

U.S. Defense Secretary Austin said the Russian pilots' behavior was "aggressive, risky and unsafe." "Russia has a responsibility to operate its military aircraft in a safe and professional manner," he said. ”

The press secretary of the Russian Embassy in Washington, Gillenko, quickly refuted this statement, saying that the US statement was unacceptable. "The MQ-9 drone, or rather, its operators, knows very little about the past information about our military department. In particular, temporary airspace restricted zones created for the conduct of special military operations. If the Americans had not broken into the designated area, then the UAV would not have turned out so badly. ”

risk escalation,

US-Russian relations are already in a "deplorable state"

The AP believes that the defense and military leaders of the United States and Russia quickly began talks after the crash, highlighting the seriousness of the Black Sea issue, and both sides are aware of the need to curb the risk of escalation.

Infographic: Pentagon.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Russia's Channel One program that the United States has been ignoring the fact that after the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, there are flight restrictions in the Black Sea coastal area, which is regarded as a "provocative act."

Lavrov said, "This provocative disregard for objective facts shows that the United States is constantly trying to find a provocative behavior that can escalate its confrontation methods." He said the United States has always claimed to be a responsible power and concerned about strategic stability, but in fact it is "inconsistent in words and deeds."

Lavrov stressed that "any provocation of a conflict between two nuclear powers always carries very serious risks, and it is impossible for the United States not to understand this." ”

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that after the crash of a US drone in the Black Sea, Russian-American relations have been in a "deplorable state."