The government of France has announced that Russia has threatened to shoot down Paris Air Force planes. The reason for this move is the fact that last month these aircraft were patrolling international airspace over the Black Sea. The Elysée has denounced increasingly aggressive behavior on the part of Moscow, reminiscent of that of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

"A month ago, to give you a very concrete example, a Russian air traffic control system threatened to shoot down French aircraft in the Black Sea while we were in an international free zone where we patrol", said French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, interviewed by the radio station "Rtl". 

"Russia's behavior in 2024 -added the French politician- has no relation to what we saw in 2022 and, obviously, before the aggression in Ukraine. It is explained by the fact that Russia is in difficulty on the battlefield in Ukraine".