US condemns Russian aggression after drone downing in Black Sea.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned Russia's downing of a US drone over the Black Sea as "aggressive" and vowed that US aircraft will continue to fly and operate wherever international law allows. The incident marked the first time Russian and US military aircraft have come into direct physical contact since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. The US erased sensitive software on the drone remotely before it crashed to prevent Russia from collecting secret information. Russia denied the US' account of the incident and said relations between the two countries are at their "lowest point."