US, Russia Point Fingers After Fighter Jet Collides with US Drone

Russia and the United States traded blame after Tuesday's collision of a Russian fighter jet and a U.S. drone over the Black Sea.

The Details: Russia is demanding that U.S. aircraft be kept out of Russia's claimed airspace, and Ukraine's foreign minister is warning that such incidents are inevitable until Russia leaves Crimea. Meanwhile, the U.S. sees the collision as a pattern of Russian pilots dangerously interacting with aircraft in what the U.S. considers international airspace.

Key Quote: "The unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern," said Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to Washington. "They gather intelligence, which is subsequently used by the Kyiv [Ukraine] regime to strike at our armed forces and territory." A Pentagon spokesperson said that several times before the collision, the Russian jets dumped fuel on the U.S. drone in a "reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner," and that the collision rendered the U.S. aircraft "unflyable and uncontrollable."

For Context: Tuesday's incident marks the first time U.S. and Russian military aircraft have come into physical contact since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago. The collision will likely lead to an increase in already-high tensions between the two countries.

How the Media Covered it: Sources across the political spectrum covered the incident and Russia's reactions prominently.