The French army said on Thursday that two Russian fighter aircraft were tracking two French warplanes and a refueling aircraft over the Black Sea in international airspace. This is the second instance of this this week, the French military added.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Russian jet had escorted two French warplanes, which Moscow had said was to prevent the French aircraft from entering Russian airspace.
According to Colonel Pascal Ianni, a spokesman for the French Armed Forces, the planes are conducting a NATO observation mission as required by international regulations.
“The two (French) planes remotely detected two Russian fighter planes which have just come closer to them, but which are not disturbing or hindering the progress of the mission,” Ianni said, adding that it was “strategic communication” by Moscow to show its planes were in the vicinity.
