Relations between Russia and the US are at their “lowest point” and in a “deplorable state,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists Wednesday after the US military said a Russian fighter jet forced a US Air Force drone to crash in the Black Sea.

According to Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the incident, but there was no contact at the highest level between Moscow and Washington.

Peskov added that “Russia did not refuse constructive dialogue, and is not refusing it now.” 

Moscow warned the United States on Wednesday to keep its aircraft away from Russia’s claimed airspace as the two nations traded blame over the downing of an American surveillance drone above the Black Sea.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, claimed the US drone had “deliberately and provocatively” approached Moscow’s airspace, forcing Russia to react.

A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said.

But Russia insisted its warplanes didn't hit the MQ-9 Reaper drone. Instead, it said the drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets that had been scrambled to intercept it near Crimea.

The US has accused Russia of reckless behaviour after an American drone crashed into the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets.

Before the collision, Russian jets are said to have dumped fuel into the path of the drone, which the US says was in international airspace.

The damaged MQ-9 Reaper drone was brought down by the US after it became "unflyable", the Pentagon said.

Russia has denied its two Su-27 fighter jets made any contact.

Russia is disputing the Pentagon’s account of how a large U.S. military drone was downed over the Black Sea on Tuesday, denying the U.S. assertion that a Russian fighter jet being flown in a “reckless and unprofessional” manner clipped the unmanned aerial vehicle.

U.S. Europe Command said the MQ-9 drone, flying over international waters, was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 fighters, whose pilots “dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner.”