Tensions Rise as US and Russia Clash in Black and Baltic Seas.

The US has denied Russian claims that an MQ-9 Reaper drone downed over the Black Sea on March 14 was involved in preparations for a strike on the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse. The State Department called the allegations "ridiculous" and said the drone was lawfully operating in international airspace. The drone collided with a Russian Su-27 fighter jet and crashed into the sea, marking the first known direct military encounter between Washington and Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.