Russian Defense Minister wants to take measures against

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov called on the Army General Staff on Friday to submit proposals for an immediate response to the “provocations” by US drones over the Black Sea.

In a press release, the ministry said it was aware of the increased activity of American drones in the region. The drones were allegedly conducting reconnaissance flights and gathering information on targets of high-precision Western weapons that Ukraine is using to attack Russian facilities.

The Defense Ministry said this demonstrated “the growing involvement of the United States, NATO and other countries in the conflict between Ukraine and the government in Kyiv.”

“Such flights increase the likelihood of airspace accidents involving Russian aircraft. This increases the risk of direct conflict between the (NATO alliance) and the Russian Federation.”

NATO states would be held accountable for such incidents.

The statement did not mention Crimea, the Black Sea region that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attacked Russian military bases in Crimea, including with Western missiles. Reporting and editing: Andrew Osborn