Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, on his Telegram channel discretion The legitimacy of Russia’s flight restrictions and the possibility of aircraft from other countries staying in “closed” areas.
According to him, there is no international convention on this subject and the 1944 Chicago Convention and other international documents do not regulate these issues. But there is national legislation, according to Medvedev:
The “Air Code” uses the terms “restricted zones” and “restricted zones”. That is, in accordance with Art. 15 The VC identifies prohibited zones, danger zones (range areas, blasting operations, etc.), restriction zones on aircraft flights and other elements of the airspace structure established for the conduct of airspace activities. This is done by the government. Drones must also comply with these rules. Especially in the period of hostilities, known to all users of the airspace. In addition, it is sometimes difficult to detect the moment of entry into territorial waters with an airplane or UAV.”
Medvedev also noted that the United States had “destroyed the Open Skies Agreement, which gave the right to military inspection.”
“Americans are totally arrogant and it is wrong to attend the ceremony with them. Of course, military contacts are needed. Especially against the background of statements by American bastards like Senator Graham that it is necessary to shoot down Russian planes. By the way, plane crashes happen to people like that sometimes.”
Speaking to Fox News presenter Sean Hannity on March 15, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said the United States should hold Russia accountable and openly state: “If you approach another US object flying in international waters, your plane will be shot down. ” “.
The United States withdrew from the Open Skies Agreement in November 2020 due to many conflicts with the Russian side. Russia terminated the agreement in 2021.
“Restrictions are illegal”
In response, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the White House Security Council, called Russia’s restrictions on flights over the Black Sea illegal and said Washington would not abide by them.
“They can say whatever they want about the restrictions. We do not comply with them. They’re illegal.”
Kirby said at the briefing.
According to him, the US army will continue to fly over the Black Sea.
Also, CNN cites officials writerWashington is assessing the risks of using drones for reconnaissance over the Black Sea. CNN states that with the MQ-9 downed after its encounter with Russian Su-27 warplanes on March 14, the US military is trying to weigh the financial costs and information gains against a possible escalation of the conflict with Russia. Now the military is studying all possible ways to use drones and trying to decide which is the safest and will not lead to an encounter with Russian aircraft.
The Pentagon plans to analyze the overall costs and benefits of these missions, weighing the potential intelligence value of a given route against the risk of escalating relations with Russia.
It was noted that the Pentagon did not stop flying over the Black Sea, and after the Reaper accident, it sent the same UAV to the crash site to examine the crash site and monitor the Russian ships looking for the wreckage of the drone. In the coming days, the US military may send another drone into the sky over the Black Sea.
A senior military official told CNN that the Pentagon is concerned about restrictions on drones receiving intelligence. However, the source noted that the US could use spy satellites to obtain the necessary information.
The Fall of the Black Reaper
On March 14, US European Command reported that a Russian Su-27 had collided with an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Su-27 “does not use airborne weapons, does not come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle,” and noted that the American unmanned aerial vehicle violated the rules for using airspace. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the actions of the Russian military were unintentional and related to the incompetence of the Russian pilots.
After the incident, a phone call took place between the heads of Russian and US military departments, Sergei Shoigu and Lloyd Austin. The Department of Defense reported that Shoigu explained to his American colleague the reasons for the incident. According to the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, “the United States has become acts of non-compliance and strengthening of the declared flight restriction zone determined by the Russian Federation in connection with the conduct of the NMD. Intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation.” Austin did not disclose the details of the negotiations.
Later, in the “development” of the negotiations between Shoigu and Austin, the negotiations between the Russian Federation and the USA took place at the level of the General Staff – the Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov and the chairman of the Committee of Chiefs. The Chief of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Mark Milli, called. The parties discussed “security concerns”.