icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
17 Feb, 2021 20:35

‘No violations allowed’: WATCH Russian Su-27 jets drive away NATO warplanes over Black Sea, trio of French aircraft intercepted

‘No violations allowed’: WATCH Russian Su-27 jets drive away NATO warplanes over Black Sea, trio of French aircraft intercepted

Two Su-27 interceptor planes have escorted two French fighters and a tanker aircraft away from Russian airspace over the Black Sea, the Russian military has confirmed, as video of the encounter in the sky appeared on social media.

The Southern Military District deployed the interceptors on Wednesday morning as the trio of foreign aircraft appeared on  radar, the National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said in a statement. 

The two interceptors “identified the air targets as a group of French Air Force planes that consisted of a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker and two Mirage 2000 tactical aircraft and shadowed them over the Black Sea,” the NDCC said.

After the French aircraft turned away from their approach to the Russian airspace, the Russian fighters returned to base. Their flight was “in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace,” the NDCC added.

No violations of the Russian state border were allowed.

Wednesday’s interception comes amid increased activity of NATO aircraft and ships in the Black Sea, at the invitation of Ukraine. Last week, Kiev proposed to the US-led alliance to increase air operations in the “airspace over the sovereign territory of Ukraine and over open waters.” This was a reference to the Crimea peninsula, which separated from Ukraine and re-joined Russia in a 2014 referendum. 

Also on rt.com NATO orders warships into Black Sea as bloc’s chief calls for Ukraine to be allowed join & stop Russian ‘plan’ to dominate ex-USSR

In 2020 alone, the Russian Defense Ministry detected an estimated 2,900 combat aircraft and 1,100 spy planes that approached the country’s airspace.

The air and sea incursions weren’t limited to just Europe. In November, the guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain crossed the Russian maritime border near the Far East city of Vladivostok, only to be chased off by the Russian Navy destroyer Admiral Vinogradov. 

Also on rt.com Are you invading, or just lost? Russian navy threatens to ram US warship ‘John McCain’ after it crosses border near Vladivostok

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0