A U.S. official on Thursday confirmed that a Russian fighter jet had hit an American drone over the Black Sea. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said the unmanned aircraft was not armed and was on a routine patrol when it was struck. The incident occurred in international airspace, the official added.
It was not immediately known if the drone was damaged by the Russian fighter. The incident is the latest example of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Russia in the region, which have been strained since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.