egypt and through central africa thickets. this western portia along the gulf of guinea, really where we're going to see the biggest downpours of rain and for southern africa. things are beginning to improve in malawi, still breezy, though for south africa's coastline on friday. gus, 60 kilometers per hour. ah, the water's gay city has become a major global issue. the demand is going straight up and the supply is going straight down, turning in essential natural resource into a commodity traded for profit. just because it's lawyer. mean, it cannot be priced. what about the guy that can't afford it? that guy told me it's water. al jazeera examines the social, financial, and environmental impact of water privatization, lots of water on al jazeera. and on monday, us drone crosses into the black sea. after being pursued by russian fighter jet,

like the most serious incident involving the 2 superpowers directly since the thought of ukraine war. is it just a one off or more serious escalation? this is inside story. ah . hello there and welcome to the program. i'm laura kyle. russia and the us are presenting different versions of how a u. s. surveillance drone ended up in the black sea. it came down on tuesday after being pursued by russian fighter jets near the russian annex region of crimea. the u. s. defense department has released edited video taken by the m q 9 reaper drone . it shows a rush and su, 17 fighter jet, approaching, and dumping fuel. as it passes. us says the unmanned drains propeller was struck,

forcing it down, and that it had been operating an international airspace. the russian defense spokesman had a different version of what happened, ordered them to the roseville model, the decor show ago them. on the morning of march 14th, 2023 russian air force control systems detected in american m q. 9 drone flying over the black sea near the crimean peninsula, towards the russian state border of the unmanned aircraft was flying with its transponders, turned off and violated temporary restrictions to air space usage will set for the special military operation. on november, those restrictions were passed to all international airspace users and published in accordance with all norms. fighter jets from the on duty air defense force were scrambled to identify the intruder report as a result of sharp maneuvering at around $930.00. moscow time. the m q 9 drone went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water. i want to underline . russian fighter jets did not use their on board weapons who did not come into

contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle off and returned safely to bay silk role am if i know will close encounters between russian and u. s. military aircraft, a not uncommon. this is the 1st time has happened, joined the ukraine wool, both sides in contact me that the off to had seemingly to avoid an escalation, but publicly that has been little sign of reconciliation. and tuesday, russian aircraft, again engaged and dangerous, and reckless and unprofessional behavior. in the international airspace over the black sea to russian jets dumped fuel on an unmanned u. s. m. q 9 aircraft conducting routine operations in international airspace. and one rush and jet struck r m m q 9 aircraft, resulting in a crash. this hazardous episode is a part is part of a pattern of aggressive rish, risky and unsafe actions by russian pilots in international airspace will surely

cut the slice a little. you have heard representatives of the pentagon and the joint chiefs of staff, so the united states will continue to fly wherever it pleases, in accordance with international law. but if you follow this logic than the space around the united states has the same status as the space over the black sea. ah, let's bring in our gas now and in moscow puzzle. falcon, howard, defense and military analyst in portsmouth, peter lee, author of reaper force inside britain's drone wars and n. belfast alexander t. 12 lecture in modern european history at queen's university belfast of a warm welcome to all of you. but we'll, let's start with you because the u. s. says, just in the past hour or so, before recording inside story released a video of this incidents over the black sea usaa saying it proves their version of

the events. what do you make of s oh, for borrow more or less? yes, it apparently shows that one of the blades of the pro power of the american draw on them q 9. was it? it's deformed a bit. and that more worse shows the under the russian jets, we're flying, very close. kind of skidding of the drone. of course, there's a lot of, there's the difference in speed. drones fly, much lower speed than jets on the speed that the drone flies are with its prop jet. can't fly, falls out of the sky as to where i thought a far, much quicker. and that means when they encounter it kind of fly by on high speed, then that's dangerous. and apparently there was a small mistake in the pilot thing by the russian there,

by way. then there was a minor collision, the american drone that didn't disintegrate. the disintegrated weather hit the water, but it was so good in the fly home to russian point didn't fly home. so no lies were was. that's the good news. and peter, the us says it was reckless. that was unprofessional. do you all say think has pavel says that it was a mistake? yes, i think it was probably a deliberate act to get as close as possible to the t v for grow. and it's also reported that fuel was dumped on the draw. that is, that is quite quite possible as well. and perhaps the iraq in pilots thought if the flu close enough to the, to the backwash, the jet wash from the engine would be enough to throw the reaper into some kind of maneuver which was either dominant or at least disturbing is trajectory. so i think

there was probably a miscalculation in going so close that eventually the russian aircraft hit the propeller and it's the propellers are very project speed. the easy to damage a large berg with damage to propel it and possibly destroy it. so it does not need a great amount of contact in order to render the propeller dysfunctional alex, if, if they did, there was a minor collision that between the jet and the drone. what impact might that i've had on the jess while difficult to say mister the judge has returned to the base and there's been no crash from what i have wrapped. you know, it's all very touch in goal of fuel and to beat us either way. you could have damaged itself more than just would have done itself more than it damaged the drone . so you have very high risk for both for the pilots. and of course there was

a pilot in russian and jets unlikely america mom. so yeah, she seems to be very kind of high risk when you were probably not totally intended . but i think what we can please say is that the was intention to intercept that drawn to give a message to be, can be quite aggressive around. it's not a saturday to bring it down, but certainly to me, to interfere with it's off of flight. so i guess for the russians, as long as the, their own plane is not damaged or you know that that was a bull nose. that the whole thing came down and became going to quite a big events between rushing, you know, to stay science and the, and the russians because they wanted to send a message. they submitted that. yeah, they said, i think it's important to mention we haven't so far that this, it wasn't just to fly via that. we saw this was going on for between 30 to 40 minutes according to the us. it seems like quite a deliberate action. would you agree, peter?

yes, these kind of russian actions with fast, yet another aircraft has gone on for generations. it's a cold war actor. so right up to the present day. and if this last, they are so near sonya, russia, russian forces use, use their craft to probe the air space of other countries, either violating the air space or flying that close to the air space to see how long it will take for the response to test for reaction will happen. so this is part of an ongoing oh sure, the russian air force, highest of testing an opponents and invest cities and speed of response level responds, willingness to respond to respond. so all of the factors will come into into consideration. and it is important as the reaper went down, but for the russian aircraft itself, the underside of a jet is actually very strong. that's where you have to have the support from the

landing gear. if you're hanging weapons underneath that has to be incredibly strong . so i would expect, structurally, there would be a little damage and perhaps a little bit of stuff is damaged to the under side of the russian aircraft. ok, above, what was the message? do you think that russia was trying to send to the us through this incident will work in previous or some encounters with nato ships and planes over the black sea russians worse kinds of harassing those who they believe are going to close to. ready crimea in particular, and hopes that they will turn around and go home. but she does not want them for american and they're so so of course british and french recon planes. oh, so pilot planes, big ones like that besides

a flying in though over those waters and so they don't want them there and they want to send a message that they could be harassed and that this would put pressure on the pilots on the command turn around and go, that's what they are trying to do. that's why for a long time they were over flying, the intercepted drug, no pressure to pressurize the pilot who was piloting it, of course, or remotely, to turn around and go home. and this mentor went a bit wrong because there was a minor coalition and that's very dangerous because a fighter plane costs much more than this, not in the rape or joe drone, which is not basically the cutting edge of the newest american drone. and of course there's a pilot on board and trading a pilot takes well, a decade, a good pilot, i mean, and they were in risk and they could have been lost than that with the the know. so

i don't believe that this was a deliberate ramming, and this was a mistake, an accident. ok, alex like if he wants to jump in that will i think, yeah, i think those you need to also be mind that the statement by the, the russian ministry of defense saying that they've drawn was flying in what he declared to be an exclusive zone specialist exclusive for these special military durations. so basically what we're trying to do, so there's a national, it's very confusing and also eventually dangerous class because of course, rasa claims premiums. it's only not recognized by the united states. so technically, you know, united states go by the letter of law can fly over crimea because it's ukrainian territory as well as the americans are concerned. but they're not doing that. so this trying to kind of completely international waters. but at the same time ross and sort of trying to expand the exclusion zone and sending

a message to united united states and that, that they are going to serious about them, maintaining it. so i would imagine that, but from actually what happened, you know, you will really have this issue or further potential voice collation between roughly united states. this is the way it's important is because it's the 1st time there's a direct glass which in american military and the russian military, even if it wasn't a man's so. so we just a reminder that this is a very precarious circumstances, and there is a potential for both escalation, if both sides make a decision to go for it. so grand with something that just bring them in and bring a point phone. lo, it was not really a crash because weapon systems are not used by any side. so it's not yet

a clash. it's an accident. i still have them. yes, this is a dry run. okay. we only saw can. we've got the dirty side. so we've got that it's an accident and that it was a crash. peter was still thought. no, i mean this was not, i'm fine with because weapons were not used right. but weapons couldn't be used. there could be american or british recon plains prying in the same area with fighter escort an act actually that has already happened as we could see. crash between fighters of both sides. well doesn't indicate an issue of more than what can happen in the future. absolutely. okay, peter, any of these confrontations there are in crests happening at multiple levels at the same time. i actually think the, the more. busy interesting, and possibly the most important part of this is not the physical unpacked between 2

aircraft and the dining of the patrol. i think possibly the most interesting and relevant aspect is the clash between the way that the us is interpreting international law and the way russia is interpreting and trying to apply international law. russia is declining anerio, special military operations but, but that does not hold legal trying in the same way as the historical right to, to fly in international airspace above international water. so, within 12 nautical miles of the cost of sovereign states, so receipt, russia trying to exert this right to declare an area of special interest and the united states making a concerted effort to deny that right. and to keep on exacting, establish norms in international waters to fly over the waters to sail ships in the waters. and it's the same kind of work that the united states is doing in the far

east, where credit is denying. china claim to 2 parts of the south china sea space, as well as it is our creations. and it's interesting ukraine, russia war. it also has a global interest in keeping open the waters of the world for ships for civilian ships, for military ships to use as long as in international waters, which suggests alex that we might see the us continue to fly drones in this area stickly to make the point that it does not recognize crimea as russian. all the 2nd row keep flying drugs. and with the united states defense budget, this is a can be treated as a disposable item. and i think for the us to be able to produce the video footage from, from the drawing itself. that is, it's a bit of psychological and political and operational coo for the united states.

they can actually demonstrate that the russian aircraft was definitely flying in an unsafe, unsafe manner for the pilot. never mind the drone and that russia was, was in the united states sides breaching international. i think that we're beaching international law. but that is obviously going to be disputed by the russian leadership. ok, alex, well, i think there is obviously the dimensions and pretty much negation and whatnot. but, you know, with this drawn slides, of course, they are gathering intelligence which they are watching through ukrainian. so they can use against russian forces. old, there is a kind of substantial, unimportant dimension. ross has been extremely annoyed and worried about the amount of firm intelligence gathered by drones like that by this after lesson. ready so forth, which is being used by ukraine to attack russia in crimea,

including in premier. and that's going to full of discussions in ross and channels . and so for that, you know, every time there is a attack on the russian basis in crimea. height and next video surveillance drawn by natal into the american britain and a novice flying around if i targets and looking for what the the impacts was. so there is kind of quite substantial element on top of the always general discussion of freedom negation. and it certainly is not, not a comfortable position to be that, you know, you want to keep going. ross's want to send a message, american wants to send a message. and at some point, you know, you have to keep escalating and that's, that's, that's the, of the book we seem to be on the now heading to a just one point pebble. if the tables were turned and the russians, if, when they fly there, the united states fly similar surveillance, drones near the united states. one expect to see a similar reaction. well,

that's possible because russia doesn't have drones, can find near the united states, right? so, but russian planes do fly, especially if they are close to alaska and down the alaskan close towards go on there. but these are piloted planes. and quite often these are strategic nuclear bars. that's why they are sometimes where they're scored of fighters are intercepted by american fighters from alaska, and that happens so, so rough course, russian planes fly over the narceena regency towards britain of the but again, these are pilot at play and so there are, there are intercepted but to the will western for fighters don't go anywhere close to have a collision. a threat of a collision of a mistake is much higher because we're talking about a nuclear power,

maybe even nuclear carrying a strategic bombers and not just the rape or drove rush drones, fly, well, businesses, right. okay, peter, i just want to touch on the point that was raised in our discussion about this program earlier today. why are these surveillance drones used a tall when satellites can give perhaps just as good readings and i'll with will not be encountered by russian jets? why, why the drones particular being used for a number of reasons. firstly, the cameras, the most well known is called the gorgon stair, which can be, can provide very high definition footage of, of what's happening on the ground. and they can, they can zoom in on a very particular point. they're manually controlled satellites. if a satellite is an orbit and it's moving around the ac,

you might not get the satellite exactly over the place that you wanted to be looking at. depending on the typo satellite. and so if you have a drawn it can, it can be used in a much more i say targeted, but very precise way to, to look at a bit of activity or a bit of ground or something like that. or it may be that the satellite will be one angle looking at a particular drawing can give you a 2nd, a 2nd visual angle. so the combination of the 2 can give you a richer richard information so that i've got a number of reasons why drones are particularly helpful in this situation. ok, alex is dr. pick the drones been lost at sea. we had both russia and the u. s. saying that they are now looking for it. how valuable would it be if indeed it's even found? well, it's, i think it will be going to quite a big cool for rushing terms of getting their hands on them on. ready actual piece

of us equipment, and i think the russians are the only ones actually able to retrieve it because american ships are not allowed to throw that doesn't. well, the model is the doctrine. but the, i just want to kind of mention were talking about drugs and such. last we didn't mention the balloons. and of course, if you want to look at the reaction, what americans would feel like if the russian just like, you know, to miles off new york. well, you know, look at the old, the, i know panic around the chinese balloon, which really, you know, just a, so yeah, it's all very kind of touch. i mean it's, there's a lot of symbolism and all those things including into. ready retrieval i brooding into their areas of exclusion and so forth, which are this i tried to claim themselves so, but yeah, i mean, this is for russia, it's so, so happened. it's a, it's, it's a big because if they can get their hands on the actual hardware phone from the

bottom of the sea, which they claim now they have like age away. so the felt fella down then it will be an extra extra bonus on label. everything else have all the credit and spokesman has said that this has caused relations between the us and russia to hit quote, the lowest point. i have quite a statement estimate in the history of, of roller coasters, and i say emotions between the 2 sides. do you agree with it? will be your ration are very bad and that's not news. i mean, that was many times by the between the 2 genes press spokesman and then press secretary deputy chief of his administration. so this is most of the things don't get that much worse, but they of course didn't get better. there's the matrimony answer exchanges. the good news is that there were just, there were talks

a telephone thong and we defense ministers. and between the chief of general staff for a garrison often be american chairman of joined chief. so that's the good news that there was high level contact to try to deescalate and not to kind of have such incidents in the future. and if we have to see with how effective that de escalation is going to be, so not that not, oh, bad happened, some good happened to gather the force that drunk rush. you a try, but not my sure. i think it will get some of the it disintegrated when hitting b. c. service. some floating pieces of the plastic out recur cover of the drone may be floating around, something can be found, but finding it from about 2 kilometers the and that's the past we were went down more than 100. q islanders off crimea. well,

that would need equipment that russia has, but that doesn't maybe have it in the back see, and bringing in then see from the byron. see. that's right. now with again, with the close, the boss for us is a bit of a problem. be to have provocative. do you think this incident has been me? it does seem that neither sized detect kenny, interesting and incident, escalating it at this stage, but now that the u. s. is released as video. do you think that changes the tone somewhat? i think its role, i think that we part of the escalating because it's quite hard for the russian ministry to continue to to state the position is demonstrably wrong. you know the facts from iraq, but also i think the, the heat and pressure of the. busy for this, on going at the moment between russia and ukraine added to the attention. but i think it's not anywhere near the lowest point in the russia or the, or the former soviet union as it was,

had reached with the united states. and our memories are very short, but even looking back a few decades to i've got to stand in the 1980s when they had been at that time were being supplied by vast numbers of american show that held an aircraft missiles and they were shooting down hundreds and hundreds of, of soviet union aircraft and helicopters, so they have been intention is much more, much greater than we're seeing at the moment. it's just that the media problem is usually the one which people concentrate on. but actually if you go back a bit further in history and not before you even get to the nuclear pension over here, but so there are lots of examples in a pass off, i think much, much big attentions. and i think bigger risks and know, but this is, this is an a, in an age of 24 at our school, the news and much more much more footage is available. so i think

the, the context now is not as serious as presented. and i think it will, it will slowly quite and down over the next few days, i think both sides want to do that. and then they'll probably wrap up some activity where indeed alex the last word to you would you, would you agree with that? do you think we're going to see more incidents like this that i get the flare up these tensions once again? i will. first of all, i think this is quite dangerous and i think it's more dangerous. and then i get this done because the americans are providing way more advanced, heavier weapons. there is a faster than they have done before, anywhere else against directly against russians in the past, the was for the sending of february and concluding thanks. you know, that's kind of, i was an imaginable in the system. and also of course, you house ability of skills, but this to be use against what processes its own territory, particular crime here, but not only so i think there is up above towards escalation is quite

a much more serious than has been in the past. but have some caribbean crisis, but yeah, no, i think i think it's, it's really both sides are sticking claims. if not, none of the signals can we sides are being kind of heated and they can reestablish unless we're trying to do now is based research this new rules of again because the games is new one, if they both sides ignore them, then i think we could consider for the potential, but because from the secretary of defense to rush, municipal defense and from jim jones off to the on the to garage to move. he's going to part the most go suggest that both sides actually a skill americans actually want to play down and not so collated further. ok. it's been a fascinating discussion. thank you very much. all of you for joining us today. probably going to peter lee and alexander pete of i'm thank you to for watching. you can see the program again anytime by visiting

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are facing today. i've been working in earnest, trying to find ways to get to play with kids. went away, do as to why and what are you going to do to give out the language that keeps the red blood women, right? they have one back over there, fight for a while. if you got married, i was told the thing that thing women, we made the challenge in the region. i will not being pro life. i want freedom. we don't have read them in study these about 2 weeks now. i say 3 days journey to a shelter in west grade, someone destroys our country. someone needs to rebuild ah, ah.