On Tuesday a Russian fighter jet forced down a US Air Force drone over international waters in the Black Sea. US European Command claim that the jet intentionally flew in front of the MQ-9 Reaper drone and dropped fuel on it several times, potentially causing it to crash.

Russia has pushed back on claims from the US, denying its jets "came into contact" with the drone. The Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, stated that its aircraft was too close to the Russian border and that Moscow did not want a "confrontation" with the US. The drone has not been recovered.

The incident is the first known interaction between Russian and US aircraft, and could be seen as a dangerous escalation at a critical time in the war felt across the region, prompting US EUCOM to express "strong objections" to Russian diplomats.

Meanwhile,