MOSCOW, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A Russian Su-27 fighter jet escorted three French military planes near the Russian border over the Black Sea, state-run TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.
As the ministry noted, Russian radars over the Black Sea detected three air targets flying towards the Russian state border.
"To prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation," a Su-27 fighter from the air defense forces on duty was dispatched, according to the ministry's statement.
The French planes were identified as an E-3F long-range radar detection and control aircraft and two Rafale-C multipurpose fighters of the French air and space forces.
After the Russian fighter jet approached, the foreign military aircraft performed a U-turn from Russia's state border and left the airspace over the Black Sea, the ministry said, adding that the country's border was not violated. ■
