Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov instructed the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to take prompt response to U.S. drones over the Black Sea, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it has noted increased flights of U.S. strategic unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea that carry out reconnaissance and designation of high-precision weapons supplied to Ukrainian armed forces.

"Such flights greatly increase the likelihood of incidents in the airspace with Russia's aircraft, which increases the risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia," the statement added.