Russia issued a warning on Friday that US surveillance helicopter flights over the Black Sea could have the potential to spark a “direct” military conflict. The threat came days after Washington furiously blamed Russia for a missile attack on Crimea. Moscow erupted in outcry over Ukraine’s assault on the Russian-annexed port of Sevastopol on Sunday, accusing Kyiv of using US-provided ATACMS rockets equipped with cluster munitions.
Russia’s defense ministry reported on Friday that it had “observed an increased speed of US corporate unmanned aerial vehicle planes over the waters of the Black Sea” that surround Crimea. The robots were” carrying out surveillance” and providing data for Russian arms that Kyiv is planning to use to attack Russian targets, according to the statement. For flights “increase the risk of a strong fight” between Nato and Russia, and the military has been instructed to prepare an “operational answer”, the department said.
