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French Atlantique 2 Targeted by Russian S400 System During NATO Surveillance Mission, Says Lecornu

Jan 17, 2025, 10:05 AM

A French military aircraft, engaged in a NATO surveillance mission over the Baltic Sea as part of the Baltic Sentry operation, was targeted by Russian forces. The incident occurred during a flight aimed at monitoring potential sabotage of undersea cables, which has been attributed to Russia. The French Atlantique 2 aircraft, which had departed from Brittany and flew for about 5 hours, was subjected to an attempted electronic jamming and was illuminated by the fire control radar of a Russian S400 ground-to-air defense system. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the action as an 'aggressive' and 'unacceptable' measure of intimidation. The aircraft was patrolling international airspace and controlled approximately 200 vessels, none of which were identified as suspicious during its mission. The incident underscores ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO in the region.