• Ukraine’s foreign minister does not anticipate diplomatic escalation.
• Over the shooting down of an American drone over the Black Sea.
• Russia and the US offer opposing justifications.

Incidents like the shooting down of an American drone over the Black Sea will continue until Russia evacuates Crimea, according to Ukraine’s foreign minister.

On Tuesday, the sizable MQ-9 Reaper drone fell into water.

Russia and the US offer opposing justifications.

The drone was “unflyable” when a Russian plane clipped its propeller, according to the US, which is why it was brought down.

But Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, said he did not anticipate any diplomatic escalation.

Mr. Kuleba called it a “regular event” and told the media that as long as Russia occupies Crimea, incidents of this nature would be unavoidable and the Black Sea won’t be a secure location.

“So the only way to prevent such incidents is actually to kick Russia out of Crimea.”

The crucial question is whether Russia intentionally tried to shoot down the US drone during the encounter or if it was only an attempt to disturb it.

According to US military officials, the incident took place on Tuesday morning, and the altercation lasted between 30 and 40 minutes.

The US claimed in a statement on Tuesday that the Russian jets repeatedly dropped gasoline on the drone prior to the accident in a “reckless, environmentally unsound, and unprofessional way.”

The drone was “unflyable and unmanageable therefore we brought it down,” Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters, adding that the incident also probably damaged the Russian aircraft.

Russia has denied that its two Su-27 fighter fighters had any touch with the US drone.

The drone fell after a “sharp maneuver,” according to the Russian defense ministry, and it was flying without its transponders, or communication equipment.

After Russia annexed adjacent Crimea in 2014, tensions over the Black Sea have increased.

Yet since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US and the UK have increased surveillance flights, always flying in international airspace.

The reputed media outlet questioned Mr. Kuleba on whether the US and other allies could exercise more caution as a result of the drone mishap.

“If the West wants to demonstrate its weakness, it should certainly demonstrate its cautiousness after an incident like this, but I don’t have a feeling that this is the mood in capitals,” he replied.

“The mood is not to escalate but nor is the mood to lean under the pressure – the physical or rhetorical pressure – of Russia.”

Wherever permitted by international law, the military will “continue to fly and operate,” according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

He told the Ukraine contact group: “It is incumbent upon Russia to operate its aircraft in a safe and professional manner.”

Russian envoy Anatoly Antonov claimed that Moscow viewed the drone incident as “a provocation” after being summoned to meet with officials in Washington.

From the Kremlin’s point of view Mr. Antonov added: “The unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern.”

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, told reporters on Wednesday that there had been no high-level communication between Moscow and Washington regarding the incident.

Yet, he asserted that Russia would always be open to constructive discussion.

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