Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Russian Military Aircraft Collision With U.S. Surveillance Drone

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on two Russian military aircraft colliding with an unmanned U.S. Surveillance drone over the Black Sea. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Earlier today, two Russian military aircraft conducted an unsafe intercept with an unmanned U.S. Surveillance drone that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea. This intercept was so dangerous and so brazen that the U.S. Air Force was forced to crash their drone into international waters. It is another reckless act by President Putin and his military, and I want to tell Mr. Putin, stop this behavior before you are the cause of an unintended escalation.

We have seen this behavior from the Russian military before, and it will not deter the United States from conducting operations over the Black Sea. These aggressive actions by Russian aircraft are risky and could lead to unintended escalation.

The U.S. has routinely flown over the Black Sea since before Putin’s illegal and reckless invasion of Ukraine, and I’m confident our military will continue to do so. 

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