French patrol aircraft was 'target of Russian intimidation' over Baltic Sea, French defense minister says
A French maritime patrol aircraft was the target of intimidation tactics over the Baltic Sea overnight on Jan. 17, after the aircraft was locked onto by the radar of a Russian ground-to-air defense system, France's Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on social media.
The aircraft was patrolling in international airspace over the Baltic Sea overnight between Jan. 16 – 17 as part of a NATO operation, the defense minister said.
"This aggressive Russian action is not acceptable," Lecornu wrote on X. "Our armies will continue to act to defend freedom of navigation in international air and maritime spaces."
The Baltic Sea region has witnessed growing concerns over Russian sabotage since Western nations began supporting Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On Dec. 25, four telecommunication cables and one power cable in the Baltic Sea were damaged, with Finnish authorities suspecting the involvement of the Russian "shadow fleet" vessel Eagle S.
Following the incident, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte vowed to increase NATO's military presence in the region. On Jan. 14, eight NATO member states bordering the Baltic Sea unveiled a coordinated action plan to address risks to underwater infrastructure following the suspected sabotage.
In addition to sabotage efforts, Russia has been repeatedly accused of jamming the GPS signal of various aircrafts, particularly in the Baltic Sea region.
In March, Russia likely jammed the satellite signal of a Royal Air Force aircraft used to transport then-U.K. Defence Minister Grant Shapps near Kaliningrad.
On Dec. 9, two Dutch F-35 fighter jets intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Later they were also scrambled again to intercept a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
Russian aircraft frequently operate over the Baltic Sea without transponders or flight plans, actions often seen as testing NATO's response capabilities.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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