MOSCOW, March  5, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Russia's defence ministry said Tuesday
that it had scrambled a fighter jet to "prevent a violation of the Russian
state border" by three French aircraft over the Black Sea.

Such incidents have regularly occurred, even before Russia launched its
offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

"To prevent a violation of the Russian state border, a Su-27 fighter
aircraft was raised into the air," Russia's defence ministry said.

The crew identified an "E-3F long-range radar aircraft and two Rafale-S
multirole fighters belonging to the French air force" over the Black Sea.

As the Russian fighters approached, "the foreign military aircraft
performed a U-turn away from the borders of the Russian Federation," it added.

There was no recorded breach of the border, according to the ministry
statement.

This is the latest in a string of similar incidents over the Black Sea.

In March 2023 tensions grew between Moscow and Washington when a US Reaper
drone crashed after colliding with a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea.