The Russian Defense Ministry said that the American drone was allegedly flying towards Russia, had a transponder that allows the vessel to be recognized, and also flew in violation of the boundaries of the area of a special military operation. We weren't surprised by this behavior from them.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that an American drone was heading towards Russia, had a transponder that would allow it to be identified, and was flying in violation of the boundaries of a special military operation. They claim that the MQ-9 crashed into the water due to sudden maneuvering and that Russian Su-27s did not attack or engage it.