[Ronaldus Magnus]

The US Surveillance drone was likely being used to provide targeting information against Russian personnel. In so doing, the drone may well have been acting as a combatant in this war and therefore it could have been a legitimate military target. This conflict could indeed escalate very quickly and draw the US into a major war in the bloodlands of Eastern Europe.

[Starboard]

Good point. The escalation is already well underway and we are already at the point where a simply miscalculation could ignite an uncontrollable sequences of events.

Elections have consequences.

[Leaning Right]

> the drone may well have been acting as a combatant in this war and therefore it could have been a legitimate military target <

What are the probability that this drone was being used for military purposes? I’m guessing that it’s around 99%. So, yeah. Russia has a reason to be upset. In a way, it would be like if Russia had a drone operating in the Caribbean to help cartels sneak into the U.S.

Anyway, what will Field Marshal Biden do? Maybe he’ll order USAF fighters to protect the drones.

Post #4 has got it right.

[Yo-Yo]

If it was a legitimate military target, the Russians would have shot it down, not accidently collided with it while trying to harass it.

MQ-9 Drone:

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Even if it wasn’t providing targeting info, surveillance would be sufficient.

[ought-six]

“The US Surveillance drone was likely being used to provide targeting information against Russian personnel. In so doing, the drone may well have been acting as a combatant in this war and therefore it could have been a legitimate military target.”

More likely it was keeping tabs on the three Russian missile cruisers that have sortied in the Black Sea.

[DesertRhino]

“Nuland told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. Asked about the dangers of escalation in the Ukraine war, Nuland said Russia had a host of military installations crucial for the conflict. “Those are legitimate targets, Ukraine is hitting them and we are supporting that,” Nuland said.”

Only a couple of weeks ago. An unmanned spy/attack drone there is a legitimate target. At least as legitimate as Nordsteam II was for us.

[Waverunner]

....

[hardspunned]

Just a matter of time.

[DoughtyOne]

Makes no difference what the drone was doing over international waters.

Would we have cause to shoot down their aircraft at the same spot that may
have been doing the very same thing? No.

At some point Russia needs to grow up and act like an adult.

This war is not on Russian territory.