Putin's Official Slams US For 'Provocation' After Pentagon, Russia Spar Over Black Sea Drone Crash

The Russian ambassador to the U.S. slammed Washington for an incident involving a Russian Su-27 fighter jet and a U.S. military drone over the Black Sea. 

What Happened: After being summoned by the U.S. State Department, Anatoly Antonov said Moscow "views this incident as a provocation,” Reuters reported. 

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said a U.S. military MQ-9 surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea after a Russian Su-27 jet struck its propeller. Although, Russia has denied any collusion and said the drone crashed after “sharp maneuvering.”

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“The Russian fighters did not use their onboard weapons, did not come into contact with the UAV and returned safely to their home airfield,” the Russian defense ministry said.

Vladimir Putin's representative in Washington said the meeting with the State Department was “constructive” and the issue of possible “consequences” for Russia over the incident was not raised. 

“As for us, we do not want any confrontation between the United States and Russia. We are in favor of building pragmatic relations for the benefit of the Russian and American peoples,” Antonov said.

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