Good Morning,
U.S. Drone
First they did and then they didn’t…
The Russian’s officially denied they came into physical contact with a U.S. drone over the Black Sea this week.
Then Russian For Minister Sergei Lavrov, (known as the Pinocchio of Foreign Ministers) suggested the drone was in Russian controlled airspace that Russia unilaterally declared when it invaded Ukraine a year ago.
Here’s what we know;
-The drone was harassed by 2 Russian fighter jets for 40 mins including a fuel dump by Russian aircraft
-The propeller of the spy drone was struck by one of the Russian SU-27
-Becoming uncontrollable the Americans chose to crash the drone into the Black Sea
-The drone was operating some 50 miles away from any Russian controlled air space in Int air space. (Russian airspace can only extend 12 miles from it’s coast)
-The Russians claim the transponder identifier on the drone was turned off, is false according to U.S. officials
-The Russians will attempt to recover the drone for intelligence gathering, while U.S. officials say it was wiped clean of software before it hit the sea and lies in 4 to 5 thousand feet of water
Clearly any direct contact between 2 nuclear powers is dangerous, and the drone incident is a sign that Russia is acting aggressively and without care in space over the Black Sea, and there are concerns this could escalate. There a many manned NATO flights in the area, and those aircraft would react to a Russian air intercept over Int. waters.
Other News…
-A proposed reform of France's pension system, which has sparked massive protests and strikes since the start of the year, is to be put to a vote in parliament today in what is being called a decisive moment for President Emmanuel Macron
-The UK is plagued with strike troubles of it’s own. Earlier this week Junior Doctors walked out demanding higher wages. And, for a second day this week rail strikes are underway with 14 train operating companies take part in the first in a wave of four 24-hour strikes. Traffic in London was jammed by motorists trying to get to work instead of taking the tube
-More fallout from the U.S. banking SVB failure - Swiss Credit Suisse says it will shore up its finances, borrowing up to $54 billion from the central bank after its shares plunged, dragging down other major European lenders
-Stock markets across Asia fell today as troubles at international banking giant Credit Suisse intensified fears of a wider bank crisis. Major indexes in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia fell by over 1% amid heavier losses in bank shares. While officials in Europe and America are reassuring investors all is well in the banking sector, remember ‘the markets never lie’
-The United States has again promised to “fully and quickly” give Ukraine the weapons required for a spring counteroffensive against Russia. The most recent pledge from Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin during a virtual meeting with defense officials from more than 50 countries stating the allies “must provide Ukraine with the full capabilities for the fight ahead”
Have a good Day !
Dana