Moscow: Russia’s Defence Ministry released video footage on Wednesday (March 22) that showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu presenting medals to two air force Su-27 pilots who intercepted a U.S. drone near the airspace around Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
At a meeting with military commanders, Shoigu bestowed Gold Star medals and Orders of Courage on the Russian service members who had displayed heroism in the special military operation in Ukraine.
The U.S. drone crashed into the Black Sea on March 14 after being intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the United States since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago. Announcing the awards on March 17, the ministry had repeated Russia’s version of events – disputed by Washington – that the Russian planes did not make physical contact with the drone.
The U.S. military had said the Russian fighter planes approached its MQ-9 Reaper drone during a reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace.
