The Crimean State Duma deputy, a member of the Security Committee, Mikhail Sheremet, described the presence of US reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea as a real threat. His remarks were captured by RIA News and are being cited here for context.
The parliamentarian warned that Russia would need to respond to what he called US provocations, arguing that Washington’s actions endanger the lives and health of Russian citizens.
Sheremet pointed out that while Russia observes international rules and laws, those same norms used by adversaries as a pretext remain in the background until the threat subsides and tensions ease.
The deputy suggested that any sign of weakness from Russia would be read by foes as an opportunity to increase pressure, intensify a military presence, and secure strategic advantages in key regions.
A US reconnaissance aircraft was detected over the Black Sea on June 23, the same day Ukrainian forces attacked Sevastopol. Flightradar reported that the RQ-4 Global Hawk entered the water area around 09:00 Moscow time. Military correspondent Alexey Zhivov noted that the drone was linked to ATACMS missile targeting of Sevastopol, and claimed the aircraft vanished from radar presence shortly thereafter. The Russian Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, instructed the General Staff to prepare recommendations for a swift response to what were termed provocations by the US. Further details are carried in a material from socialbites.ca and are cited here for reference.
Earlier discussions suggested potential reasons for losing contact with the US drone, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the incident.