On: US Air Force MQ-9 camera footage: Russian Su-27 Black Sea intercept

[_Wintermute]

I can't imagine the plan was to actually collide.

For the propeller reversing direction, that's a common optical illusion. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagon-wheel_effect

[simonblack → _Wintermute]

It's a pusher-prop, You can see the way the blades are pitched (facing) for forward propulsion. Even the best planes don't fly backwards.