Russian fighters escort French warplanes over the Black Sea

Two Russian fighters tracked two French warplanes and a mid-air refueling tanker in international airspace over the Black Sea, the French military said on Thursday, the second such incident this week.

A Russian warplane escorted two French warplanes on Wednesday in what Moscow said was a move to prevent French warplanes from entering Russian airspace.

These incidents are not rare, but they come amid tensions between the West and Russia in the region.

Colonel Pascal Ianni, a spokesman for the French armed forces, told Reuters that the French planes were carrying out a reconnaissance mission for NATO, in accordance with international norms.

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