MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets escorted a group of French and US warplanes over the Black Sea, the National Defense Management Center (part of the Russian Defense Ministry) said in a statement on Thursday.

"On December 9, 2021, Russian airspace control systems detected aerial targets flying towards the Russian border over international waters in the Black Sea," the statement reads.

According to the center, Russian aircraft crews identified the aerial targets as a Mirage 2000 jet fighter and a Rafale fighter from the French Air and Space Force, the US Army’s CL-600 Artemis reconnaissance aircraft, an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft from the US Air Force and a French KC-135 refueling aircraft, and escorted them over the Black Sea.

"The planes were stopped from violating the Russian border," the statement said. "After turning the foreign warplanes away from Russia’s border, the Russian fighter jets safely returned to their home airfield," the center added.

Three Su-27 fighters from the Southern Military District’s air defense quick reaction alert forces were scrambled to escort the foreign aircraft.