A French signals intelligence ship has reentered the Black Sea, according to several local media reports.
The 3,600-ton Dupuy de Lôme (A759) was spotted in the region, according to a report in the French language Le Courrier de Russie quoting Russian military officials.
Other Russian outlets — including independent news agency Interfax and state-run media — report Dupuy de Lôme is off the coast of the Bulgaria.
“The French intelligence ship is now stationed in the western Black Sea, 30 miles away from the port of Varna,” according to a military source quoted by the state-run report by RIA Novosti.
View French ship in Black Sea in a larger map
State media accused the ship of monitoring regional phone and data traffic.
Dupuy de Lôme was previously in the region along with the two American ships — USS Taylor (FFG-50) and USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) — as part of a show of support to regional allies following the annexation of Crimea by Russia from Ukraine. Dupuy de Lôme was previously in the region from April 10th to 30th.
The ship has to operate under the so-called 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits.
Montreux rules call for warships from countries with out a coast on the Black Sea to depart after 21 days.
Taylor recently left the Black Sea to join Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) as part of the continuing reassurance mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.
