Russia says it intercepted three French military planes. Interception is an operation aimed at meeting an aircraft deemed too close to an airspace or having entered it.
Incidents involving Russian planes and aircraft from NATO countries, including France, are relatively frequent and occurred even before the start of the conflict in Ukraine. Tuesday's incident comes as French President Emmanuel Macron last week did not rule out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. If he then confirmed his words despite the controversy, Emmanuel Macron nevertheless assured Tuesday that he did not want an “ escalation ” with Russia.