Official NATO press releases or statements from member countries

French Navy Aircraft Targeted by Russian S-400 Radar in NATO Mission Over Baltic Sea

Jan 17, 2025, 01:59 PM

A French Navy Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, engaged in a NATO surveillance mission over the Baltic Sea, was targeted by Russian forces. The incident occurred overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, when the aircraft was illuminated by the fire-control radar of a Russian S-400 ground-to-air defense system. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu condemned the action as an 'aggressive' and 'unacceptable' act of intimidation. The aircraft was part of NATO's Baltic Sentry operation, which aims to protect critical underwater infrastructure following recent damages to undersea cables, suspected to be sabotage by Russia. The French aircraft, which had taken off from Brittany, spent nearly five hours off the coast of Sweden and the Baltic countries, monitoring around 200 ships, mostly civilian, without detecting any suspicious vessels.