US says Russian warplane hits American drone over Black Sea
By KARL RITTER
12 mins ago
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said.
Moscow said the U.S. drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept it near Crimea, but insisted its warplanes didn’t fire their weapons or hit the drone.
The incident, which added to Russia-U.S. tensions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, appeared to be the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after an encounter with a Russian warplane.
U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby. He added that U.S. State Department officials would be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts and “expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price called it a “brazen violation of international law.” He said the U.S. summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a protest and the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has made similar representations in Moscow.
The U.S. European Command said in a statement that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea.
It said one of the Russian fighters “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it several times before the collision in “a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Stuttgart, Germany.
“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” it added.
U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said the MQ-9 aircraft was "conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.” He added that “in fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes. There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.
The MQ-9 is capable of carrying munitions, but Ryder would not say whether it was armed. The U.S. had not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither had Russia, Ryder said.
He said it appeared the Russian aircraft also was damaged in the collision, but the U.S. has confirmed that warplane did land, although Ryder would not say where.
Russia's Defense Ministry said the U.S. drone was flying over the Black Sea near Crimea and intruded in an area that was declared off limits by Russia as part of what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, causing the military to scramble fighters to intercept it.
“As a result of a sharp maneuver, the MQ-9 drone went into unguided flight with a loss of altitude and crashed into the water," it said. “The Russian fighters didn't use their weapons, didn't come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and they safely returned to their base."
The Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, described the U.S. drone flight as a “provocation” and argued that there was no reason for U.S. military aircraft and warships to be near Russia's borders.
Speaking after meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Karen Donfried, Antonov insisted that the Russian warplanes didn't use their weapons or hit the American drone. He added that Moscow wants “pragmatic” ties with Washington, adding that “we don't want any confrontation between the U.S. and Russia.”
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin has charged that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the conflict.
Kirby emphasized that the incident wouldn’t deter the U.S. from continuing its missions in the area.
“If the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying, and operating in international airspace, over the Black Sea, then that message will fail,” Kirby said. “We’re going to continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters. The Black Sea belongs to no one nation.”
The U.S. European Command said the incident followed a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea.
“These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation,” it warned.
Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said this type of collision is his greatest concern, both in that part of Europe as well as in the Pacific.
“Probably my biggest worry both there and in the Pacific is an aggressive Russia or China pilot or vessel captain, or something gets too close, doesn’t realize where they are, and causes a collision,” Berger said, in response to a question at a National Press Club event Tuesday.
As fighting continued in Ukraine, a Russian missile struck an apartment building Tuesday in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, killing at least one person and wounding nine others in one of the major urban strongholds the Donetsk region.
The victims were among seven civilians killed and 30 wounded in 24 hours, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video showing gaping holes in the façade of the low-rise building, which bore the brunt of the strike that damaged nine apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a bank branch and two cars, said regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking with workers at a helicopter factory in southern Siberia, again cast the conflict in Ukraine as an existential one for Russia.
“For us, it’s not a geopolitical task," Putin said, "it’s the task of survival of Russian statehood and the creation of conditions for the future development of our country.”
Russia had welcomed a Chinese peace proposal, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv’s refusal to talk leaves Moscow with only military options.
“We must achieve our goals,” Peskov told reporters. “Given the current stance of the Kyiv regime, now it’s only possible by military means.”
The Russian onslaught has focused on the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, where Kyiv's troops have been fending off attacks for seven months and which has become a symbol of resistance, as well as a focal point of the war.
Zelenskyy discussed Bakhmut with the military brass and they were unanimous in their determination to face down the Russian onslaught, according to the presidential office.
“The defensive operation in (Bakhmut) is of paramount strategic importance to deterring the enemy. It is key for the stability of the defense of the entire front line,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces.
___
Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington, and Lorne Cook in Brussels, contributed.
These responses sound like posturing. We just used a multimillion dollar aircraft to down a Chinese balloon. Imagine what we would do if there was a Russian equivalent to the predator drone just off our coast in international waters. Hopefully the downing of an unmanned death drone isn't perceived as a reason for the US to declare direct engagement with Russia.
that would be a certain way to end the war in ukraine though. russia can't fight both of us and expect to come out of it victorious.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
US says Russian warplane hits American drone over Black Sea
By KARL RITTER
12 mins ago
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said.
Moscow said the U.S. drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept it near Crimea, but insisted its warplanes didn’t fire their weapons or hit the drone.
The incident, which added to Russia-U.S. tensions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, appeared to be the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after an encounter with a Russian warplane.
U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby. He added that U.S. State Department officials would be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts and “expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price called it a “brazen violation of international law.” He said the U.S. summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a protest and the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has made similar representations in Moscow.
The U.S. European Command said in a statement that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea.
It said one of the Russian fighters “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it several times before the collision in “a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Stuttgart, Germany.
“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” it added.
U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said the MQ-9 aircraft was "conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.” He added that “in fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes. There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.
The MQ-9 is capable of carrying munitions, but Ryder would not say whether it was armed. The U.S. had not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither had Russia, Ryder said.
He said it appeared the Russian aircraft also was damaged in the collision, but the U.S. has confirmed that warplane did land, although Ryder would not say where.
Russia's Defense Ministry said the U.S. drone was flying over the Black Sea near Crimea and intruded in an area that was declared off limits by Russia as part of what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, causing the military to scramble fighters to intercept it.
“As a result of a sharp maneuver, the MQ-9 drone went into unguided flight with a loss of altitude and crashed into the water," it said. “The Russian fighters didn't use their weapons, didn't come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and they safely returned to their base."
The Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, described the U.S. drone flight as a “provocation” and argued that there was no reason for U.S. military aircraft and warships to be near Russia's borders.
Speaking after meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Karen Donfried, Antonov insisted that the Russian warplanes didn't use their weapons or hit the American drone. He added that Moscow wants “pragmatic” ties with Washington, adding that “we don't want any confrontation between the U.S. and Russia.”
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin has charged that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the conflict.
Kirby emphasized that the incident wouldn’t deter the U.S. from continuing its missions in the area.
“If the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying, and operating in international airspace, over the Black Sea, then that message will fail,” Kirby said. “We’re going to continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters. The Black Sea belongs to no one nation.”
The U.S. European Command said the incident followed a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea.
“These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation,” it warned.
Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said this type of collision is his greatest concern, both in that part of Europe as well as in the Pacific.
“Probably my biggest worry both there and in the Pacific is an aggressive Russia or China pilot or vessel captain, or something gets too close, doesn’t realize where they are, and causes a collision,” Berger said, in response to a question at a National Press Club event Tuesday.
As fighting continued in Ukraine, a Russian missile struck an apartment building Tuesday in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, killing at least one person and wounding nine others in one of the major urban strongholds the Donetsk region.
The victims were among seven civilians killed and 30 wounded in 24 hours, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video showing gaping holes in the façade of the low-rise building, which bore the brunt of the strike that damaged nine apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a bank branch and two cars, said regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking with workers at a helicopter factory in southern Siberia, again cast the conflict in Ukraine as an existential one for Russia.
“For us, it’s not a geopolitical task," Putin said, "it’s the task of survival of Russian statehood and the creation of conditions for the future development of our country.”
Russia had welcomed a Chinese peace proposal, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv’s refusal to talk leaves Moscow with only military options.
“We must achieve our goals,” Peskov told reporters. “Given the current stance of the Kyiv regime, now it’s only possible by military means.”
The Russian onslaught has focused on the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, where Kyiv's troops have been fending off attacks for seven months and which has become a symbol of resistance, as well as a focal point of the war.
Zelenskyy discussed Bakhmut with the military brass and they were unanimous in their determination to face down the Russian onslaught, according to the presidential office.
“The defensive operation in (Bakhmut) is of paramount strategic importance to deterring the enemy. It is key for the stability of the defense of the entire front line,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces.
___
Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington, and Lorne Cook in Brussels, contributed.
These responses sound like posturing. We just used a multimillion dollar aircraft to down a Chinese balloon. Imagine what we would do if there was a Russian equivalent to the predator drone just off our coast in international waters. Hopefully the downing of an unmanned death drone isn't perceived as a reason for the US to declare direct engagement with Russia.
that would be a certain way to end the war in ukraine though. russia can't fight both of us and expect to come out of it victorious.
despite all the bluster and threats previously, it was stated they dont want a confrontation with the u.s.
to give a modicum of benefit of the doubt to the pentagon , theres reported history of reckless aviation behavior on the part of Russia.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Poland may hand MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine within weeks
Yesterday
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister said Tuesday that his government may hand its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters jets over to Ukraine “within the next four to six weeks.”
Poland’s leaders said last week that sending the warplanes would be only done within a larger international coalition. Slovakia has also declared readiness to provide its MiG-29 planes to Kyiv and the two NATO nations have urged others to join in.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday said that Warsaw could send its MiGs within weeks, but didn't clarify whether there was any coalition ready to follow suit.
Ukraine's air force is familiar with MiG-29s and could use the planes right away.
Poland has been using the fighter jets since 1989 and has 28 of them. It has been replacing them with U.S.-made F-16s and South Korean FA 50 multi-task jets and is also purchasing U.S. F-35 fighters.
Ukraine has been asking the West for fighter jets to beef up its defenses as Russia's war drags on for a second year. There are still no signs that larger nations like the United States and the U.K. will agree to send their warplanes.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
US releases video of Russian jet dumping fuel on its drone
By KARL RITTER and DINO HAZELL
27 mins ago
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone and clipping the drone's propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea.
The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding its optical instruments and driving it out of the area.
On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian fighter that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone’s propeller, damaging one blade, according to the U.S. military.
The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The video excerpt released by the Pentagon does not show events before or after the apparent fuel-dumping confrontation.
Russia said its warplanes didn’t strike the drone and claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle went down after making a sharp maneuver over the sea.
Asked Thursday if Russia would try to recover the drone debris, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision was up to the military. “If they consider it necessary to do so in the Black Sea for the benefit of our interests and our security, they will do it,” he said.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Wednesday that Moscow would try to recover the drone fragments.
U.S. officials have expressed confidence that nothing of military value would remain from the drone even if Russia managed to retrieve the wreckage.
Russia and NATO member countries routinely intercept each other’s warplanes, but the drone incident marked the first time since the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft went down during such a confrontation, raising concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights near the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and illegally annexed.
The calls between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian General Staff, were the first since October.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu accused the U.S. of provoking the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed because of its military operations in Ukraine.
The Kremlin argues that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the war, which is now in its 13th month.
Russia also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation,” the Defense Ministry said.
Such U.S. actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow “will respond in kind to all provocations.”
Sergei Aksenov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said he thinks Russia should act even more forcefully to put an end the U.S. surveillance flights in the area.
“I personally think that our response in such situations should be tougher,” Aksenov said on his messaging app channel. “We realize that attempted attacks on Crimea have been launched with Americans’ guidance. In fact, they are a warring party.”
The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot (20-meter) wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.
Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes.
There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.
The U.S. has not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither has Russia, Ryder said. Russian officials said Wednesday that they would try to salvage fragments of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.
U.S. officials have left open the possibility of trying to recover portions of the downed $32 million drone, which they said crashed into waters that were 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.
Other U.S. officials said the U.S. does not have military ships in the region and likely won't attempt to recover the wreckage.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
the challenge with this is that you can't really send US jets because they are very different than MiGs and the Ukrainian pilots are only trained to fly the MiG style of jets. Poland has these, so I agree that it's great that they sent them. My understanding is that sending US Fs would include so much training, that it didn't make practical sense.
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
You know Trump is the first president since Woodrow Wilson to have a pandemic start under his watch. That's really a failure on Trump's part. Loud boos and hisses...
The irony of someone with their profile set to private calling other people snowflakes is off the charts.
i was getting aggressive emails from some of the wackos on here for having a different opinion than them, and from the sounds of it, probably would have gotten one from you too Merkin Baller... Thats why I changed it.
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
Guess we can blame the deaths of US servicemembers during the withdrawal from Afghanistan on POOTWH, then? Seeing how POOTWH had no wars during its term.
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
Guess we can blame the deaths of US servicemembers during the withdrawal from Afghanistan on POOTWH, then? Seeing how POOTWH had no wars during its term.
Boo, boo, hiss, hiss!
what are you babbling about libtard-aplorable? Pretty sure that old puppet FJB was in charge of the disastrous withdraw of AFG, leaving hundreds in not thousands of AMericans behind. You outta be ashamed of yourself being a self proclaimed libtard and proud. America LAST with the Dems!
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
Guess we can blame the deaths of US servicemembers during the withdrawal from Afghanistan on POOTWH, then? Seeing how POOTWH had no wars during its term.
Boo, boo, hiss, hiss!
what are you babbling about libtard-aplorable? Pretty sure that old puppet FJB was in charge of the disastrous withdraw of AFG, leaving hundreds in not thousands of AMericans behind. You outta be ashamed of yourself being a self proclaimed libtard and proud. America LAST with the Dems!
You claimed that POOTWH was the POTUS who didn’t “have any wars under his watch.” How stoopit is that? And what about 1/6?
America last? Care to list the categories and ‘Murica’s ranking or is that too woke for you?
The irony of someone with their profile set to private calling other people snowflakes is off the charts.
i was getting aggressive emails from some of the wackos on here for having a different opinion than them, and from the sounds of it, probably would have gotten one from you too Merkin Baller... Thats why I changed it.
You got aggressive emails? That’s hard to believe.
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
Post edited by myoung321 on
"The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera." - Yusuf Karsh
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
Guess we can blame the deaths of US servicemembers during the withdrawal from Afghanistan on POOTWH, then? Seeing how POOTWH had no wars during its term.
Boo, boo, hiss, hiss!
what are you babbling about libtard-aplorable? Pretty sure that old puppet FJB was in charge of the disastrous withdraw of AFG, leaving hundreds in not thousands of AMericans behind. You outta be ashamed of yourself being a self proclaimed libtard and proud. America LAST with the Dems!
biden honored the agreement trump made. i am sure fox did not tell you that though.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
What’s the score?
A thousand dead Russians per day.
Are you arguing that the concept of winning a war isn't a thing?
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
Peace talks are great. Most think Ukraine is resigned to losing Crimea and far eastern oblasts that they lost in 2014. But that wasn't enough for Putin. War are you suggesting each side should give?
Do you all know who didn't have any wars under his watch?? that's right snowflakes! None other than the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!! loud cheers and whistles.......
Guess we can blame the deaths of US servicemembers during the withdrawal from Afghanistan on POOTWH, then? Seeing how POOTWH had no wars during its term.
Boo, boo, hiss, hiss!
what are you babbling about libtard-aplorable? Pretty sure that old puppet FJB was in charge of the disastrous withdraw of AFG, leaving hundreds in not thousands of AMericans behind. You outta be ashamed of yourself being a self proclaimed libtard and proud. America LAST with the Dems!
You know what is delusional? That from January 2017, when POOTWH stole the white house with putin on the ritz's assistance, until his sorry ass left office in disgrace in January 2021, 63 US service members died in Afghanistan. Upon Brandon taking office until today, 13 US service members died in Afghanistan. I know now that MAGA world thinks 63 is smaller than 13.
But you know what's funnier? If you take into consideration that total Covid deaths, on average for the time POOTWH and Brandon had/have been in office, POOTWH wins that contest as well, particularly if you believe 55,209 deaths per month is less than 41,671 deaths per month. Put another way, if POOTWH were POTUS today and folks were shining lights up their ass, or injecting bleach or taking ivermectin, there'd be another 230,146 dead 'Muricans. So much winning. Unless you believe covid is a hoax and all of those "deaths" are really dem voters that fled the country and are vacationing in Cuba or China?
And you know what else is funny? And Q told me this. What do you get if you multiply 6X3X1X3 and then subtract the sum, you know sum right, the number you get when you add two numbers, of 6+3? I'm sure you do. Well, lets work it out, together: 6X3=18X1=18X3=54; 6+3=9; 54-9=, do you know? Can you guess? Holy shit! 45! The Storm is Coming!
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
The are losing ground everyday how is that winning?
"The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera." - Yusuf Karsh
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
What’s the score?
A thousand dead Russians per day.
Are you arguing that the concept of winning a war isn't a thing?
Not for Ukraine it isn't... they can't sustain the war in either manpower or territory..regardless of how many weapons we send. Every single day they're losing ground...
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
The are losing ground everyday how is that winning?
Where are they losing ground every day? At the beginning of the war, Russia was able to move through Kherson, Kharkov and to the suburbs of Kiev. But Ukraine pushed them almost all the way back to the 2014 borders, although Ukraine has not taken back all of the far east, specifically Mariupol. The last Russian offensive is currently stalled at Bakhmut, turning into a Stalingrad.
Most estimates have Russian casualties and deaths exceeding Ukrainian by 6-7x. In fact, the US thinks Russian casualties (not deaths) could be approaching 200k. What price is Russia willing to pay to take Kiev? We know the Ukrainians will die for their independence. We should be proud to support them. They represent the best of the American ideal in the world today.
Poland is sending the Ukraine some fighter jets. It's about time somebody did! I hope more countries follow their lead.
I'd preferred we send people for peace talks... more weapons is only helping the weapons manufacturers, but not helping end the war... People need to come to terms, Ukraine cannot win this war...but we will flood them with weapons as long as they're useful for making money for the defense industry. When they aren't useful any longer we will turn our backs and walk away....
I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
ukraine is currently winning the war right now though.
The are losing ground everyday how is that winning?
Where are they losing ground every day? At the beginning of the war, Russia was able to move through Kherson, Kharkov and to the suburbs of Kiev. But Ukraine pushed them almost all the way back to the 2014 borders, although Ukraine has not taken back all of the far east, specifically Mariupol. The last Russian offensive is currently stalled at Bakhmut, turning into a Stalingrad.
Most estimates have Russian casualties and deaths exceeding Ukrainian by 6-7x. In fact, the US thinks Russian casualties (not deaths) could be approaching 200k. What price is Russia willing to pay to take Kiev? We know the Ukrainians will die for their independence. We should be proud to support them. They represent the best of the American ideal in the world today.
Fuck that. Give Putin on the ritz Germany, it’s occupied dontcha know, Poland and the Czech Republic. /s
Comments
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister said Tuesday that his government may hand its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters jets over to Ukraine “within the next four to six weeks.”
Poland’s leaders said last week that sending the warplanes would be only done within a larger international coalition. Slovakia has also declared readiness to provide its MiG-29 planes to Kyiv and the two NATO nations have urged others to join in.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday said that Warsaw could send its MiGs within weeks, but didn't clarify whether there was any coalition ready to follow suit.
Ukraine's air force is familiar with MiG-29s and could use the planes right away.
Poland has been using the fighter jets since 1989 and has 28 of them. It has been replacing them with U.S.-made F-16s and South Korean FA 50 multi-task jets and is also purchasing U.S. F-35 fighters.
Ukraine has been asking the West for fighter jets to beef up its defenses as Russia's war drags on for a second year. There are still no signs that larger nations like the United States and the U.K. will agree to send their warplanes.
___ Follow AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone and clipping the drone's propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea.
The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding its optical instruments and driving it out of the area.
On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian fighter that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone’s propeller, damaging one blade, according to the U.S. military.
The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The video excerpt released by the Pentagon does not show events before or after the apparent fuel-dumping confrontation.
Russia said its warplanes didn’t strike the drone and claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle went down after making a sharp maneuver over the sea.
Asked Thursday if Russia would try to recover the drone debris, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision was up to the military. “If they consider it necessary to do so in the Black Sea for the benefit of our interests and our security, they will do it,” he said.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Wednesday that Moscow would try to recover the drone fragments.
U.S. officials have expressed confidence that nothing of military value would remain from the drone even if Russia managed to retrieve the wreckage.
Russia and NATO member countries routinely intercept each other’s warplanes, but the drone incident marked the first time since the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft went down during such a confrontation, raising concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights near the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and illegally annexed.
The top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders spoke Wednesday about the destruction of the drone, underscoring the event's seriousness.
The calls between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian General Staff, were the first since October.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu accused the U.S. of provoking the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed because of its military operations in Ukraine.
The Kremlin argues that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the war, which is now in its 13th month.
Russia also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation,” the Defense Ministry said.
Such U.S. actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow “will respond in kind to all provocations.”
Sergei Aksenov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said he thinks Russia should act even more forcefully to put an end the U.S. surveillance flights in the area.
“I personally think that our response in such situations should be tougher,” Aksenov said on his messaging app channel. “We realize that attempted attacks on Crimea have been launched with Americans’ guidance. In fact, they are a warring party.”
The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot (20-meter) wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.
Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes.
There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.
The U.S. has not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither has Russia, Ryder said. Russian officials said Wednesday that they would try to salvage fragments of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.
U.S. officials have left open the possibility of trying to recover portions of the downed $32 million drone, which they said crashed into waters that were 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.
Other U.S. officials said the U.S. does not have military ships in the region and likely won't attempt to recover the wreckage.
___
Hazell contributed from Washington. ___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
i was getting aggressive emails from some of the wackos on here for having a different opinion than them, and from the sounds of it, probably would have gotten one from you too Merkin Baller... Thats why I changed it.
Boo, boo, hiss, hiss!
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
what are you babbling about libtard-aplorable? Pretty sure that old puppet FJB was in charge of the disastrous withdraw of AFG, leaving hundreds in not thousands of AMericans behind. You outta be ashamed of yourself being a self proclaimed libtard and proud. America LAST with the Dems!
America last? Care to list the categories and ‘Murica’s ranking or is that too woke for you?
Desparado.
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I know I will get hate for that, but the truth is the truth.. The sooner peace talks begin the better for everyone involved..
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Are you arguing that the concept of winning a war isn't a thing?
But you know what's funnier? If you take into consideration that total Covid deaths, on average for the time POOTWH and Brandon had/have been in office, POOTWH wins that contest as well, particularly if you believe 55,209 deaths per month is less than 41,671 deaths per month. Put another way, if POOTWH were POTUS today and folks were shining lights up their ass, or injecting bleach or taking ivermectin, there'd be another 230,146 dead 'Muricans. So much winning. Unless you believe covid is a hoax and all of those "deaths" are really dem voters that fled the country and are vacationing in Cuba or China?
And you know what else is funny? And Q told me this. What do you get if you multiply 6X3X1X3 and then subtract the sum, you know sum right, the number you get when you add two numbers, of 6+3? I'm sure you do. Well, lets work it out, together: 6X3=18X1=18X3=54; 6+3=9; 54-9=, do you know? Can you guess? Holy shit! 45! The Storm is Coming!
How's that for woke?
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
at this point, woke is basically anything they hate, which is basically everything.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
Most estimates have Russian casualties and deaths exceeding Ukrainian by 6-7x. In fact, the US thinks Russian casualties (not deaths) could be approaching 200k. What price is Russia willing to pay to take Kiev? We know the Ukrainians will die for their independence. We should be proud to support them. They represent the best of the American ideal in the world today.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©