[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Russia

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now, earlier today, two Russian military 
aircraft conducted an unsafe intercept with an unmanned U.S. 
surveillance drone that was operating within international airspace 
over the Black Sea. This intercept was so dangerous and so brazen that 
the U.S. Air Force was forced to crash their drone into international 
waters. It is another reckless act by President Putin and his military, 
and I want to tell Mr. Putin: Stop this behavior before you are the 
cause of an unintended escalation.
  We have seen this behavior from the Russian military before, and it 
will not deter the United States from conducting operations over the 
Black Sea. These aggressive actions by Russian aircraft are risky and 
could lead--I repeat--to unintended escalation.
  The United States has routinely flown over the Black Sea since before 
Putin's illegal and reckless invasion of Ukraine, and I am confident 
our military will continue to do so.