A French Air Force E-3 AWACS airborne early warning aircraft, escorted by two Dassault Mirage 2000D fighters, has entered the Crimean air defence control zone, according to flight tracking data from Flightradar24. One of the Mirage jets and the AWACS aircraft were reportedly flying with their transponders turned off, making them harder to track.
Additionally, another French aircraft, a Beech King Air 350 ER electronic reconnaissance plane, was detected conducting surveillance operations near Crimea. This increased French presence in the region has raised questions about Paris’ intentions amid shifting dynamics in Western support for Ukraine.
With tensions growing between Ukraine and the United States over military aid, France appears to be strengthening its role in the region and sending a clear message to Moscow. Analysts suggest that President Emmanuel Macron is positioning himself as the leading European figure in the crisis, particularly as no other European leader has taken a strong stance on the issue. However, Macron has publicly stated that the deployment of European troops to Ukraine remains off the table for now.
Russian sources have framed the French operations as a NATO provocation. Colonel Viktor Baranets, a Russian military analyst, suggested that the flights were a test of Russia’s response. However, no Western officials or French authorities have confirmed the mission, and the available information comes primarily from Russian reports and social media.
If the reports are accurate, this flight pattern aligns with NATO’s surveillance activity over the Black Sea. Since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, NATO has frequently flown reconnaissance missions from Romanian air bases and international airspace to monitor Russian military movements. Crimea remains one of the most militarised zones in the region, hosting advanced Russian air defences, including S-400 missile systems in Feodosia, Pantsir-S1 systems, and Su-30 fighter jets stationed at Belbek.
A direct French incursion into contested airspace could heighten tensions between NATO and Russia. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned that increased Western military presence near Crimea could escalate the conflict. Western defence officials have acknowledged the sensitivity of surveillance flights in this region, with former US Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas James recently calling the situation “a delicate balance” between deterrence and provocation.
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