U.S. Navy releases first photos of Chinese balloon recovery, China asks US to return debris

Using underwater drones, warships and inflatable vessels, the Navy is carrying out an extensive operation to gather all of the pieces of the massive Chinese spy balloon a U.S. fighter jet shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.

Russia believes that China's explanation of the circumstance of the entry of its balloon into US airspace is sufficient, and Beijing's reaction to the incident was very responsible, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"We believe that the explanations given by the Chinese side about the entry of an unmanned Chinese balloon into US airspace as a result of force majeure circumstances are quite sufficient and understandable," Zakharova said

The Chinese government will demand that the United States return the fragments of the weather balloon it downed over its territory last weekend, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

"This balloon does not belong to the United States, it belongs to the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government will continue to protect its legitimate rights and interests," she insisted.

The Chinese diplomat reiterated that the balloon was meant exclusively for civilian purposes and that it posed no threat to US national security.