The United States has suspended the sale of four Gray Eagle attack drones to Ukraine, Reuters writes . According to the agency, the Pentagon fears that they may fall into the hands of the Russian military.

Officially, the US authorities have not announced their intention to sell drones to Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters and Politico , citing sources. The White House supported the deal, which had been planned since early March, but the Pentagon's Office of Defense Technology Security put it on hold.

The objection to exporting the drones arose over fears that their radar and surveillance equipment could pose a security threat to the US if it got into the hands of the Russian military. Pentagon spokesman Sue Gough spoke about how such deals are being negotiated:

“Technology security screening is standard practice in the transfer of US defense products to all international partners. All cases are considered individually. As part of an established process, national security concerns are brought to the attention of the appropriate approval authority.”

According to Reuters, citing budget documents, each MQ-1C Gray Eagle costs about $ 10 million. The Pentagon continues to consider the possibility of a deal, but it is not yet known when a decision will be made.