Russian military threaten French patrol aircraft with S-400 in Baltic Sea
Lecornu called Russia's actions unacceptable and said that France will continue to protect freedom of navigation
Russia intimidated a French patrol aircraft over the Baltic Sea with an S-400 missile system, an act deemed aggressive and unacceptable, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu wrote on X.
During the night of January 15-16, an Atlantique 2 aircraft was patrolling international airspace over the Baltic Sea as part of a NATO mission. However, Russian forces targeted it with the fire-control radar of an S-400 air defense system, Lecornu reported.
"This aggressive Russian action is unacceptable," the French defense minister stated.
He added that France's military will continue to act in defense of the freedom of navigation in international air and maritime zones.
- On November 22, 2022, Norway intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane near its border.
- On December 4, a Russian tanker fired on a German helicopter in the Baltic Sea.
- On December 18, NATO F-35 jets intercepted Russian aircraft carrying supersonic missiles over the Baltic Sea.
- On January 13, 2025, drones were spotted near German military bases, with police investigating potential Russian espionage.
