A Russian Su-35 fighter jet “behaved dangerously” toward a French reaper drone in an incident on March 2, according to France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu’s post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Tensions between Russia and France are worsening, as Paris’ support of Kyiv remains steadfast.
An increase in tensions between Paris and Moscow and possible attacks could trigger Article 5 of the alliance’s charter, which states that a strike on one member state would be met with a collective response.
What To Know
In his post on X, Lecornu wrote: “On Sunday, a Russian SU-35 fighter jet behaved dangerously toward a French Reaper drone on a surveillance mission in international airspace over the eastern Mediterranean. Three successive passes in close proximity, which could have caused the drone to lose control, attesting to a desire to restrict free air movement in common areas.”
Lecornu went on to condemn Moscow’s actions and wrote: “An intentional, unprofessional and aggressive action that is not acceptable. France will continue to act to defend freedom of navigation in international air and maritime spaces.”
The French Joint Staff of military operations also wrote about the incident in a post on X and confirmed its use of the MQ-9 reaper drone.
In Russia’s intimidation of France’s reaper drone, Lecornu did not specify the exact location in the Mediterranean where the incident took place.
The MQ-9 reaper drone utilized by France in this instance is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to fly at medium-high altitudes for long flights, according to Global Defense News.
The Su-35 fighter jets have been frequently utilized by Russia in attacks on Ukraine since February 2022.
Not the first time, Russian fighter jets have previously targeted MQ-9 reaper drones, two Russian Su-27 aircraft “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” with a U.S. Air Force reaper drone operating in international airspace over the Black Sea in March of 2023. In this instance, the U.S. reaper drone was struck and downed, and Russian authorities later said they would try to locate the remnants of the drone in the sea.
The altercation between France and Russia in international airspace comes amid an increase in airspace incidents involving Moscow.
NATO has since bulked up its defenses by launching two new multinational High-Visibility initiatives to improve “the protection of its airspace and strengthen its deterrence and defense,” according to NATO‘s press release.
What People Are Saying
Volodymyr Kogutyak, the vice president of the Ukrainian World Congress, wrote on X: “The #russie continues its provocations! The Minister of Defense, @SebLecornu, released this video in which a Russian SU-35 is seen endangering a French Reaper drone in the Eastern Mediterranean. Three close passes nearly caused the drone to lose control, showing a desire to restrict free air traffic. This aggressive action is unacceptable. We must remain united and not be afraid to defend ourselves.”
Pierre-Marie Bonneau, a French far-right political activist, wrote on X: “The French regime’s Defense Ministry is whining about the fact that a Russian Su-35 multirole fighter ‘behaved dangerously’ in the face of the French MQ-9 Reaper combat drone (of U.S. production) over the Mediterranean Sea.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how France or NATO will respond if another incident of this kind occurs involving Russia.
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