Russia has threatened to shoot down NATO planes in the Black Sea as tensions over a possible World War 3 explode further to worrying levels.

Russia has threatened to shoot down NATO planes in the Black Sea as tensions over a possible World War 3 explode further to worrying levels.

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, told RTL: "Russia's behavior in 2024 is no longer at all the same as what we experienced in 2022. This can be explained by the fact that Russia is in difficulty on the battlefield in Ukraine.

"You have Russian takeover attempts. A month ago, a Russian air control system threatened to shoot down French planes in the Black Sea. It's as old as the Cold War, we have the return of Russian positioning particularly aggressive. Russia plays with thresholds of aggressiveness."

He also warned that Putin could interfere with the European elections this year by "injecting false content" or "attempting to approach the candidates."