NATO, Russia Aerial Cat-And-Mouse Game Intensifies

The loss of a US drone in the Black Sea after an alleged collision with a Russian warplane has exposed the high-risk cat-and-mouse game in European skies between NATO and Russian aircraft, Daphne Benoit reported for the Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Photo Insert: The US on Tuesday accused Russia of forcing down one of its Reaper surveillance drones over the Black Sea through a collision with a Russian Sukhoi-27 warplane.

The US on Tuesday accused Russia of forcing down one of its Reaper surveillance drones over the Black Sea through a collision with a Russian Sukhoi-27 warplane. Russia denied that it had deliberately brought the drone down.

But it was the first such incident between Moscow and Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The invasion of Ukraine, which has led to a significant concentration of armed forces in regional airspace, has increased the risk of incidents that could spark a major escalation. Britain accused the Russian air force of firing a missile at the end of September near a Royal Air Force plane patrolling over the Black Sea.

"This event is unusual and remains exceptional. It remains too isolated to highlight a clear change in posture," said a French expert who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

"On the other hand, it is a return to the situation at the end of the Cold War when Western air equipment was destroyed occasionally," he added. The expert pointed to the frequent Soviet fire against American stratospheric balloons in the 1980s.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic