On Tuesday, a Russian fighter collided with a US Air Force drone over the Black Sea, forcing the drone to crash following a "unsafe and unprofessional intercept," according to the US military.
U.S. European Command said in a statement that the incident occurred on Tuesday morning, when two Russian SU-27 planes exhibited their "lack of competency" by intercepting a MQ-9 drone.
One of the fighters clipped the drone's propeller, forcing operators in the United States to bring it down in foreign waters.
According to John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, national security advisor Jake Sullivan briefed President Joe Biden on the event on Tuesday.
Russian pilots have stopped US aircraft in recent weeks, but not in such a "reckless" manner, according to Kirby.
Kirby and military officials emphasized that when the Reaper drone was shot down, it was operating in international airspace.
Before the crash, the Russian fighters dropped gasoline on the drone and flew in front of it.