Tensions in the sky. On Sunday, a fighter plane adopted a behavior qualified as “dangerous” by the Minister of the Armed Forces vis-à-vis a French drone. What happened?
The facts go back on Sunday, but they were not released to the general public until Tuesday, March 4. In a post X published in the afternoon, the Minister of the French Army, Sébastien Lecornu, denounced the actions of a Russian SU-35 fighter plane. According to the minister, the military plane “adopted dangerous behavior” with regard to a drone of the French army. While it was on a surveillance mission in international airspace, above the eastern Mediterranean, the Russian aircraft would have executed no less than three passages “successive with proximity”.
On Sunday, a Russian SU-35 fighter airplane adopted a dangerous behavior in LEGARD DUR DRONE REAPER French, on a surveillance mission in the international air miles above the eastern Mediterranean.
Three successive close passages, which could have pic.twitter.com/sammbnnjyu
– Sébastien Lecornu (@seblecornu) March 4, 2025
Actions that could have ended badly. The French could indeed have been able to lose control of their machine very well. Denouncing “an intentional, non-professional and aggressive action that is not acceptable”, Sébastien Lecornu said that the behavior of the Russian plane clearly testified to a “desire to restrict free air circulation in common areas”.
This event occurs in an already particularly tense geopolitical context. However, this air incident is far from being a first between Paris and Moscow. Last January, a French maritime patrol plane had notably been the victim of an “attempted jamming”, recalls TF1. “France will continue to act to defend freedom of navigation in international air and maritime areas,” said Sébastien Lecornu on Tuesday.