Speaking at a congressional hearing, Austin proposed postponing until a closed session a discussion of CNN's report that the U.S. was conducting an audit of operations in the area.

"We will fly on routes that we consider necessary for intelligence gathering," RIA Novosti quoted Austin as saying.

On March 14, Russian pilots intercepted an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, which then fell into the Black Sea. The pilots did not use weapons or come into contact with the UAV.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu awarded the pilots with the Order of Courage.

The state corporation Rostec then said that the wreckage of the American drone is of interest to specialists of the Russian military-industrial complex.