Overview

• A French Atlantique-2 maritime patrol aircraft was locked onto by the radar of a Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system during a NATO mission over the Baltic Sea.
• The incident occurred in international airspace near Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave, and included an attempted jamming of the aircraft's systems.
• French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu called the action 'unacceptable' and reaffirmed France's commitment to protecting freedom of navigation in international spaces.
• The patrol was part of NATO's Baltic Sentry mission, which was established to enhance surveillance of critical underwater infrastructure following recent suspected sabotage incidents.
• NATO officials, including US General Christopher Cavoli, have noted an increase in such aggressive actions, describing them as widespread and serious.