Shoigu Spoke With Pentagon Head Austin - Russian Media

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Pentagon head Lloyd Austin held telephone talks, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It was reported by Russian Interfax on Wednesday, March 15.

"On March 15, 2023 at the initiative of the American side, telephone talks were held between the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu and the Minister of Defense of the United States of America Lloyd Austin," the statement said.

The publication notes that the previous time Shoigu and Austin held telephone talks in October 2022.

CNN reports that General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to have a phone call with the chief of the Russian general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, today.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on March 14 a Russian Su-27 fighter flying over the Black Sea caught an American MQ-9 reconnaissance drone in airspace above the waters outside the sea area of the Russian Federation and damaged it.

One U.S. reconnaissance drone was not a threat to Russia in international airspace. Reconnaissance vehicles in the air above the Black Sea are monitoring the demarcation line.

On March 15, U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price said the Russian plane collided with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, most likely unintentionally.