Italy warns of escalation after US drone crash, urged the West and Russia to "exercise caution"

The US drone crash in the Black Sea has marked a moment of great tension in relations between Moscow and Washington, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday. He also urged the West and Russia to exercise caution so that they could avoid a direct clash.

On Tuesday, the US accused Russia of downing an MQ-9 Reaper drone, spotted off the coast of Crimea as it conducted a reconnaissance flight. Washington claimed that the aircraft was on a routine mission in international airspace when it was intercepted by a pair of Russian Su-27s, which dumped fuel on the drone, with one jet then colliding with the Reaper's propeller.

Russia, however, insisted that its fighters had neither come into contact with the American drone nor fired from a weapon, adding that the MQ-9 “went into uncontrolled flight” and came down “as a result of sharp maneuvers.”

Speaking to the Sky TG24 TV channel, Tajani suggested that, although the US and Russia had each taken tough stances over the incident, they attempted to “not to turn the affair into a casus belli.” “There is firmness, but no desire to escalate,” he pointed out.

However, in the current climate, the situation could escalate “due to a human error or an aggressive action by an individual,” the minister warned.