Russian, US jets in Ukraine standoff
MOSCOW: Russia’s air force has escorted five American and French military aircraft over the Black Sea and away from its border as tensions mount over the conflict in Ukraine.
It came as Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to be laying the groundwork for an invasion.
He said the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Kiev’s army and pro-Russian separatists resembled genocide.
“You and I know what is happening in Donbass,” Mr Putin said during a meeting of the Kremlin’s human rights council, referring to the conflict zone in the east of the country, adding that: “It certainly looks like genocide”.
It came as the Russian defence ministry said it had ordered three of its Su-27 fighters to deploy over the Black Sea “to identify air targets and prevent the violation of the border of the Russian Federation”.
The ministry said its crews had identified French Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters, US CL-600 Artemis and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and a French refuelling aircraft.
It said the French and American planes had reversed course once the Russian jets deployed and that the Western aircraft had not crossed the Russian border.
On Wednesday, Russia said it had dispatched planes to escort three French military planes flying near its borders in the Black Sea.
The defence ministry said its pilots again escorted French Mirage 2000 and Rafale jets after stopping them from violating the Russian border.
That incident followed another last week when Russia said a “catastrophe” was avoided when a Russian passenger plane dived to avoid a NATO reconnaissance aircraft that crossed its path above the Black Sea.
Western and Ukrainian officials say they fear Russia – which already seized Ukraine’s entire Crimea region in 2014 and backs a large-scale separatist force in the east – is preparing a large-scale invasion.
It came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesky thanked US President Joe Biden for his “consistent, firm and strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of his country’s borders.