Russia warns of ‘direct confrontation’ with NATO in veiled threat to destroy US spy drones over the Black Sea as Kremlin declares West is ‘falling into the abyss’

Vladimir Putin warned on Friday of a “direct confrontation” with NATO and threatened to destroy or disrupt US spy drones flying over the Black Sea.

Such an act threatens to provoke a direct military conflict between Russia and the West.

In a statement issued today in Moscow by Putin’s new Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, he ordered his armed forces staff to “take measures to respond quickly to provocations” with US reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea.

Another warning from the Putin regime said Western leaders were heading into “the abyss of direct armed confrontation with Russia” – a likely nuclear conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry “noted an increased intensity of flights of American strategic unmanned aerial vehicles over the waters of the Black Sea, conducting reconnaissance and targeting precision weapons supplied by Western countries to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to attack Russian facilities.”

This handout image is from a video released by the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) on March 16, 2023. It shows onboard footage of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone as it is approached for the first time by a Russian SU-27 aircraft, dumping fuel, over the Black Sea on March 14, 2023.

First known use of US-supplied HIMARS missiles by Ukraine to strike a key military target in Russia

This ‘demonstrates the increasing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kiev regime.

The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Andrei Belousov, has instructed the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to take measures to quickly respond to provocations.

The current tensions in the Black Sea were highlighted in recent days when an American Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance drone was hit by a supersonic Russian MiG-31 over neutral waters of the Black Sea at an altitude of 16,000 meters during a maneuver on great height.

The drone operators apparently returned it to its base in Italy, while the MiG-31 crew reportedly received honors.

In addition, this week an RAF RC-135 radio reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft was escorted by no fewer than four British Typhoon fighters as it flew over the Black Sea.

People gather around a Russian tourist injured by the downed Ukrainian missile in Crimea on Sunday

Spray flies into the air as pieces of debris from the downed rocket land on the coast near Sevastopol

Injured tourists are treated by passers-by on a beach in Sevastopol after the incident on Sunday

Both episodes have been highlighted by Russian pro-war channels, which are strongly urging Putin to act against flights they say are directly linked to the targeting and deployment of Western missiles on Putin’s territory and invaded areas of Ukraine.

Belousov, who is seen as someone very close to Putin, did not specify what he meant by “measures to respond quickly” to Western drone spy flights, which take place several times a week.

As a warning, Russia this week released images of a confrontation between its Su-35S and a US unmanned MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, possibly over Syria.

“The Russian pilot, demonstrating high professionalism, took the necessary measures in a timely manner to avoid the collision,” the ministry said, warning of “more dangerous approaches and subsequent turbulence for coalition drones.”

In March last year, an American MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by Russia in the Black Sea.

The tail propeller was hit by the Russian fighter jet that had earlier dumped fuel on the unmanned aircraft.

The US labelled the incident a “shameful violation of international law” and accused the Russians of “an unsafe and unprofessional interception”.

At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Putin-controlled state television in Moscow of the high risk that the current tensions in relations between Russia and the West could lead to nuclear war.

“Let’s call it all by name, the classic, old, previous reading of nuclear deterrence didn’t work well,” he told propaganda host Olga Skabejeva – also known as Putin’s Iron Doll.

‘We [recently] saw the president [Putin] order an exercise to develop practical skills in the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

“This in itself is a signal that is not only understood by military professionals or diplomats, but, I sincerely hope, also by the general public in Western countries. They approve of their leaders in a completely irresponsible, dangerous course that pushes Western countries into the abyss of a direct armed confrontation with Russia.”

Riabkov threatened: ‘We have never agreed with the Americans in their idea of ​​a limited nuclear war.

“We have always said that when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield, it will be very difficult to control the further scenario, the further course and the further path of escalation.”

He said: ‘We must do everything we can to prevent a slippage there, because I firmly believe that it is impossible to guarantee a limited nuclear war and victory in it.

Russia is drawing attention to an incident in which deadly US-made ATACMS missiles targeted Sevastopol in occupied Ukraine last weekend.

One of the cluster munition rockets exploded on a busy beach in the naval city, causing panic among sunbathers.

Four people were killed, including two children, and 153 were injured.

The Russians immediately claimed that a Global Hawk was involved in the attack.

In fact, it appears that the dead and injured were struck by debris from a Russian air defense missile aimed at the ATACMS.

It appears that the ATACMS falls into the sea instead of onto the beach.