The confrontation between the United States and Russia escalated Wednesday, with Moscow claiming that the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone near the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula proved Washington’s “direct involvement” in the conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin added that Moscow was attempting to recover the wreckage from the Black Sea.

Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, stated that the drone incident was a “confirmation” of what Moscow has repeatedly claimed—the US and NATO are now direct war participants, supplying weapons and intelligence to the Kyiv government and pressing for an end to negotiations.

The US countered these claims and labeled the incident as a reflection of Moscow’s “aggressive and risky behavior” and pledged to continue their surveillance. In order to recover the drone, the US would need to secure the data it collected and deal with the