Russia Asserts Itself Over The Black Sea

I just heard Alexander Mercouris reporting on this, so I looked up the article at Tass. This appears to be a significant development, coming also at a time of heightened war tensions in the Middle East. Obviously the Russian air forces have always operated over the Black Sea, but these combat air patrols in neutral air space over the Black Sea are likely intended to prevent or seriously interfere with US/NATO intel gathering flights that are an essential part of Ukraine’s missile war against Crimea. First the article, which is brief:

Russia’s Su-35 fighters patrol neutral waters of Black Sea

It was done to prevent violation of Russia’s sovereign airspace by foreign aircraft, the Russian Defense Ministry said

MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Su-35S air superiority fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed a patrol mission above the neutral waters of the Black Sea to prevent violation of Russia’s sovereign airspace by foreign aircraft, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"Pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Su-35S supermaneuverable fighters with thrust-vectoring engines have performed a routine patrol mission above neutral waters of the Black Sea in the southern battlegroup’s zone of responsibility. The goal of the mission was to prevent the violation of Russia’s sovereign air boundaries by planes and unmanned aerial vehicles of foreign countries," the ministry said.

Su-35S (Flanker-E+ by NATO classification) is a deeply upgraded super maneuverable multirole fighter jet of generation 4++ designed with fifth-generation technologies. It is distinguished by a new digital avionic complex, a new radar with passive phased antenna array and increased number of simultaneously tracked and attacked targets, plasma-ignition engines of increased capacity and controllable vectoring. The engines correspond to fifth-generation power plants as they develop supersonic speed without a boost. Su-35S is a deep upgrade of Su-27. It has a reinforced glider and no frontal horizontal fins and brake flap. Braking at landing is done by turning rudders to different sides. The maximum takeoff weight is 34.5 tons, the maximum speed is 2,500 km/h. The flight range varies from 1,500 to 4,500 kilometers. The practical ceiling is 20 thousand meters.

The fighter is armed with 30mm GSh-30-1 gun, air-to-air and air-to-surface short, medium and long-range missiles, Kh-31, Kh-35U and Kh-59M antiship missiles, various precision and unguided munitions. The fighter has an integrated IUS-35 information-control system and a radar with a detection range of 100-400 km.

Mercouris points out that it is possible that the Russian planes could engage in electronic interference with drone activities. He also notes that the manned US/NATO aircraft in question—the “foreign aircraft” that Tass refers to—are accompanied by NATO fighter aircraft, which raises the possibility of armed confrontations. Overall, this move suggests an increased assertiveness on Russia’s part and, perhaps, may represent preparatory step for major ground war moves.