Spanish MoD Confirms Russian Jets Followed Spanish Frigate in Black Sea

Spain’s Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday that Russian Su-24 fighters followed the Spanish frigate Almirante Juan de Borbon in the Black Sea, in a comment to Sputnik.

MADRID (Sputnik) — Spanish-language network ABC cited military sources earlier in the day who said the jets had approached the warship in neutral waters this week after the end of NATO’s Sea Shield drills, held in the area on February 1-11.

"The Russian planes got close to the frigate. It’s a normal practice for this maritime area during operations," the ministerial source told Sputnik.

The Almirante Juan de Borbon is part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), currently led by Germany. The US-led military alliance has been scaling up its presence along Russia’s borders following the 2014 crisis in Ukraine.