French authorities have made a serious accusation against Russia, claiming that Russian air defense systems have been deliberately targeting French military aircraft patrolling international airspace over the Black and Baltic Seas. Paris regards these actions as an act of aggression on the part of Moscow, emphasizing that such incidents are becoming more frequent and threatening amid worsening relations with NATO. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu was one of the first to raise the issue, pointing to a specific case in the Black Sea region where Russian air defenses targeted a French aircraft. 

Colonel Jean-Pierre Gaudillier, representing the French Armed Forces, clarified that this refers to an incident that occurred in mid-November 2024. At that time, an AWACS aircraft operating in international waters in the Black Sea received direct threats from the Russian side via radio communications. According to Gaudillier, during the negotiations, the Russians behaved extremely hostilely, which was an unprecedented case for French pilots in this region.

"They made it clear that they were ready to destroy our plane," — informed sources of the AFP agency quoted the words broadcast on air.

This episode, as claimed in Paris, demonstrates the escalation of tensions and Moscow's transition to more severe methods of pressure. 

France, which actively participates in NATO missions to patrol the alliance's eastern borders, regularly sends its aircraft to monitor military activity near the Russian border.