Escorting Five US And French Planes Over The Black Sea, Russia Deploys Sukhoi Fighter Jets

Illustration of a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet shadowing a foreign plane. (Wikimedia Commons/RAF/MOD)

JAKARTA - Russia has again deployed its fighter jets to escort five US and French planes over the Black Sea, the defense ministry said on Friday.

Three Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets were deployed by Russian authorities, after airspace control detected an aerial target over the neutral waters of the Black Sea heading towards the Russian border on Thursday, according to a ministry statement, citing Yenisafak December 10.

The planes were identified as 'two Mirage 2000 tactical fighters and an AF Rafale from France, a CL-600 Artemis spy plane from the US army, a USAF RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and a KC-135 AF tanker from France.'

Russia's Defense Ministry said its fighter jets escorted the planes over the Black Sea, and returned safely, ensuring "there were no violations of the state borders of the Russian Federation."

"Russian fighters operate in accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters without crossing air routes and dangerous approaches to aircraft of foreign countries," the defense ministry said.

Previously, dozens of spy planes and drones were tracked on Russian radar in the border region, with two fighter jets having 'escorted' US spy planes in the Black Sea.

Russian radars tracked more than 30 foreign aircraft conducting aerial reconnaissance near Russia's national borders over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda reported.

The newspaper's infographic shows that 31 foreign spy planes and six drones have carried out aerial reconnaissance along Russia's borders in the past week.

Russian air defense rapid reaction warning force fighter jets were deployed twice during the week to prevent foreign aircraft from violating Russia's national borders. All flights by foreign spy planes are tracked by Russian radar stations.