(CNSNews.com) - NSC spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that Russia’s decision to give awards of courage to two Russian pilots responsible for downing a U.S. drone was “Iudicrous” and “insulting.”

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the decision last week, the Associated Press reported. The move signals that Moscow intends to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future U.S. surveillance flights.

“The Russian Defense Minister also awarded awards, orders of courage to two pilots that were involved in downing of the U.S. reaper drone. Obviously, the U.S. made it very clear that we found that to be unacceptable. What do you make of Russia portraying them as national heroes?” ABC White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked.

“I don’t know of another military in the world, another air force in the world that would award a pilot for smashing into a drone. If that’s bravery, then I guess they got a different definition of it. It’s ludicrous. It’s insulting. We don’t know whether that pilot was trying to intentionally ram that drone or not, but he did,” Kirby said.

“Video evidence was pretty conclusive. Either way, I mean, in the Navy I grew up in, you don’t want to hit anything, hitting anything’s bad for you. So like I’m sorry I gotta throw the flag on this one. I have no clue why they would give a bravery award to a pilot who was at worst maliciously putting himself and U.S. property at great risk, and at best, just an idiot,” he said.