The United States has denied that one of its surveillance drones has been brought down by Russian forces over the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea.
On Friday, a Russian state arms and technology group Rostec said that it downed a US spy drone over Crimea.
“The drone was flying at about 4,000 meters (12,000 feet) and was virtually invisible from the ground. It was possible to break the link with US operators with complex radio-electronic” technology, said the Moscow-based company, adding that the drone fell “almost intact into the hands of self-defense forces.”
“Judging by its identification number, UAV MQ-5B belonged to the 66th American Reconnaissance Brigade, based in Bavaria,” Rostec stated.
In response, the Pentagon issued a statement on Friday evening saying that there is “zero truth” to the Russian claim.
The drone report comes as tensions between the US and Russia intensified over the unabated crisis in Ukraine.
The US has stepped up the deployment of its military forces to Eastern Europe, including the dispatch of fighter jets and surveillance equipment to Poland and the Baltic states.
Six F-15C Eagles and more than 60 American troops arrived at Siauliai air base, Lithuania last week, while twelve F-16 fighter jets and 300 US soldiers landed in Poland this week.
Last week, the USS Truxtun, a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, conducted joint exercises with Romanian and Bulgarian ships a few hundred kilometers (miles) from the Russian forces deployed in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, where a referendum is to be held Sunday on whether to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.
On Saturday, the commander of the USS Truxtun said the warship will remain in the Black Sea to carry out more exercises with allied ships.
“I cannot comment on our future operations but we will take the opportunity to do some routine exercises with our allies in the region,” Commander Andrew Biehn said.
GJH/AGB
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