Russia warns NATO of direct confrontation in the Black Sea due to US drones

Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov has instructed his military to consider and propose how to respond to US drones conducting reconnaissance over the Black Sea and indicating targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The report indicates that Russian military officials are concerned about the increased intensity of US strategic drone flights over the Black Sea, where the Russian fleet is located.
The Russian Defence Ministry complains that the drones are conducting reconnaissance and indicating targets for the Ukrainians’ high-precision weapons to strike Russian military facilities.
“It shows an increased involvement of the US and other NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said in a statement.
It noted that “such flights significantly increase the probability of incidents involving Russian military aircraft, which increases the risk of direct confrontation between the alliance and the Russian Federation.”
The ministry also hinted that the flights of American drones supposedly “increase the likelihood of incidents in the airspace with aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces,” and this “raises the risk of confrontation between the Alliance and the Russian Federation.”
“NATO members will bear responsibility for that,” it added.
The Black Sea has emerged as a key theater in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Kyiv reporting significant successes in targeting Russian naval forces in the area.
Washington and Moscow have clashed before over U.S. drones in the Black Sea. In a 2023 incident, a Russian fighter jet damaged an American drone there, causing it to crash. A repeat of such a confrontation could further fuel tensions over the war in Ukraine.