An MQ-9 Reaper drone awaits a mission in November 2022 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
A top Russian official said Wednesday the country will attempt to recover the remains of the U.S. drone that was downed over the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian fighter jets, according to state news agency TASS.
Driving the news: The U.S. military said it was forced to bring down an MQ-9 Reaper drone on Tuesday after a Russian Su-27 jet struck its propeller.
- "I don't know if we'll be able to get it or not, but it has to be done. And we will definitely do it," Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia's security council, said on Russian TV, TASS reported.
- “I hope, of course, for success,” he added.
The big picture: The U.S. said the incident was part of a "pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace."
- Kirby told "CNN This Morning" Wednesday that the drone had not yet been recovered and may never be recovered.
- "We did the best we could to minimize any intelligence value that might come from somebody else getting their hands on that drone," Kirby noted.
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