“We are not here to add fuel to the fire”

While de-escalation is desired and hoped for by Moscow and Washington, the situation remains tense on the borders of Ukraine and Russia, both of which share access to the Black Sea. And in these waters are sailing foreign boats trying to keep calm in the area. This is the case with the frigate Auvergne with its 140 meters long, its 150 people on board, its sonars, missiles, torpedoes, and helicopter.

Auvergne spent three weeks in the international waters of the Black Sea for a very sensitive mission. Exercises with Romanians and Ukrainians, intelligence gathering, and posting of the right to navigate anywhere, all under the continual surveillance, as announced by Moscow, of a Russian warship. The commander of Auvergne, Paul du Vignaux, the “pasha”, as sailors call him, recognizes it: the French game in the region is a balancing act.

“Our deployment in the Black Sea is not there to add fuel to the fire, far from it. We are using our right to navigate in this area without naivety, with a firm attitude, but not provocative.”

Paul du Vignaux, commander of the “Auvergne”

to franceinfo

The Russians do not provoke either, but they are there, well there. Over the days and nights in the Black Sea, never a minute, without one noticing, very clearly, the silhouette of a Russian frigate, neither sticky nor discreet, just present. “This one is a Grigorovich guy”: the pasha recognizes her rather quickly because he has learned all the boats in the area. It is then ten kilometers away, “a quiet accompaniment”, comments the captain.

And the day when Russian fighters pass low, but not directly above the French boat, a radio message is heard from the bridge. The Sukhoï move away. No panic on the bridge, just a slight excitement and a little jealousy of those who missed the passage of combat planes.

In order not to stir up tensions, France must above all not appear to be provocative on the ground. On board the frigate Auvergne is a Caiman, a helicopter over-equipped with radars and sonars, which, in flight, gives the frigate a wider view, information that the boat, on the surface, cannot collect. And the crew of this helicopter, in the Black Sea, is more attentive.

“What changes for us is that we will be extremely careful that our flights are not misinterpreted. For example, if we see a military unit from a third country, we will try not to move forward. right on it. “

Cyrille, lieutenant and tactical coordinator aboard the Caïman

to franceinfo

The Caiman is under the orders of the commander of Auvergne : “It is he who will finally set us the major milestones of our flight, details Cyrille. He will tell us, for example: I don’t want us to get too close to the Russian building behind us because they might misinterpret it. So I ask you to fly on the opposite side instead. “

For Captain Paul du Vignaux, the course to be taken is clearly defined: to have strictly professional seafaring relations with the Russians.

“For example this evening, we are carrying out landing training maneuvers with our helicopter. So we contacted the Russian boat which is nearby to inform it of what we were going to do, so that they don’t be surprised by our maneuver. “

Paul du Vignaux, commander of Auvergne

to franceinfo

The idea is that neither of the two camps is embarrassed. Russians on one side, French on the other, whereas not so long ago the two navies participated in joint exercises.“They and we are all sailors, continues the pasha, but we are all paid to serve our country, which does not always have converging interests. So no moods to have today, less closeness and everyone does their job. “