Russia warns of ‘direct confrontation’ with NATO in veiled threat to destroy US spy drones over Black Sea as Kremlin declares West ‘falling into abyss’

Vladimir Putin on Friday warned of a “direct confrontation” with NATO and threatened to destroy or disrupt US spy drones flying over the Black Sea.

Such an act risks triggering a direct military conflict between Russia and the West.

A statement issued today in Moscow by Putin’s new Defense Minister, Andrey Belousov, ordered his armed forces staff to “take measures to quickly respond to provocations” involving American surveillance drones over the Black Sea.

A separate warning from Putin’s regime claimed that Western leaders are falling into “the abyss of direct armed confrontation with Russia,” a likely nuclear conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry “has noted an increased intensity of flights of US strategic unmanned aerial vehicles over the waters of the Black Sea, which are conducting reconnaissance operations and targeting precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian armed forces by Western countries in order to attack Russian facilities.”

This image taken from a video released by the US European Command (USEUCOM) on March 16, 2023 shows footage aboard a US Air Force MQ-9 drone when a Russian SU-27 aircraft approaches it for the first time dropping fuel, over the Black Sea on March 14, 2023

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This “demonstrates the growing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the kyiv regime.”.

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has instructed the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to take measures to promptly respond to provocations.

The ongoing tension in the Black Sea was highlighted in recent days when a US Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance drone was dropped over neutral waters in the Black Sea at 52,500 feet by a Russian supersonic MiG-31 in a high altitude maneuver.

The drone operators apparently returned it to their base in Italy, while the MiG-31 crew received honors.

Separately, an RAF RC-135 electronic warfare and radio reconnaissance aircraft was escorted this week by no less than four British Typhoon fighters while flying over the Black Sea.

People gather around a Russian tourist who was injured by a Ukrainian missile shot down in Crimea on Sunday.

Spray flies through the air as the wreckage of the downed missile lands on the coast of Sevastopol.

Injured tourists are treated by passers-by on a beach in Sevastopol following the incident on Sunday.

Both episodes have been highlighted by pro-war Russian channels, which strongly urge Putin to act against flights they consider directly related to the attack and deployment of Western missiles within Putin’s territory, as well as in invaded areas of Ukraine. .

Belousov, considered very close to Putin, did not specify what he meant by “measures to promptly respond” to Western spy drone flights that take place several times a week.

In a warning, Russia released footage of a close encounter between its Su-35S and a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, possibly over Syria this week.

“The Russian pilot, demonstrating great professionalism, took the necessary measures in time to avoid the collision,” the ministry said, warning of “more dangerous approaches and subsequent turbulence for the coalition drones.”

In March last year, an American MQ-9 Reaper aircraft was shot down by Russia over the Black Sea.

Its tail propeller was hit by the Russian fighter jet that had previously dumped fuel on the drone.

The United States called the incident a “blatant violation of international law,” blaming the Russians for “an unsafe and unprofessional interception.”

Separately, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Moscow state television, controlled by Putin, about the serious risk that current tensions in relations between Russia and the West could turn into a nuclear war.

“Let’s call a spade a spade, the classic, old, previous reading of nuclear deterrence didn’t work correctly,” he told propaganda show host Olga Skabeyeva, also known as Putin’s iron doll.

‘We recently saw the president (Putin) order an exercise to develop practical skills in the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

“This in itself is a signal that is read not only by military professionals, not only by diplomats, but, I really hope, by the general public in Western countries, which condones their leaders in a completely irresponsible and dangerous course that is pushing Western countries into the abyss of direct armed confrontation with Russia.”

Ryabkov threatened: ‘We have never agreed with the Americans in their idea of ​​a limited nuclear war.

“We have always said that if nuclear weapons are used on the battlefield, it will be very difficult to control the subsequent scenario, the subsequent course and the path of escalation.”

He said: “We must do everything possible to avoid a setback there, because I deeply believe that it is impossible to ensure a limited nuclear war and victory in it.

Russia highlights an incident in which lethal US-supplied ATACMS missiles targeted Sevastopol in occupied Ukraine over the weekend.

One of the cluster munition missiles exploded off a busy beach in the naval city, causing panic among beachgoers.

Four people died, including two children, and 153 were injured.

The Russians immediately alleged that a Global Hawk was involved in this attack.

In fact, it appears that the dead and wounded were hit by debris from a Russian air defense missile targeting the ATACMS.

ATACMS is believed to fall into the sea rather than onto the beach.