Estonia reports airspace breach by Russian jets, PM calls on NATO

Estonia has requested urgent consultations with NATO allies after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace on Friday.

A still photo published by Swedish armed forces that it says shows a Russian mig-31 fighter jet that took part in the violation of Estonian airspace.(via REUTERS)

The aircraft crossed into Estonian skies over the Gulf of Finland “without permission” and remained for 12 minutes before being escorted out by NATO jets, reported the BBC.

Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal described the incident “totally unacceptable” in an X post and said the country had formally invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which calls for urgent consultations among the 32-member alliance.

Michal said that Estonia considers it essential to consult its allies to “ensure shared situational awareness and to agree on our next joint steps,” the BBC reported.

NATO responds swiftly

Italian F-35 jets based in Estonia, along with Finnish and Swedish aircraft, were scrambled under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission to intercept the Russian planes. Colonel Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesperson, called the incident “not the type of behavior one would expect from a professional air force,” Bloomberg reported.

This marks the fifth Russian violation of Estonian airspace this year and follows similar incidents in Poland and Romania earlier in September. NATO has since increased air defences and moved additional troops eastwards under its Eastern Sentry mission.

Also Read: 12 minutes of panic in Estonia after Russian jets spotted in airspace | What is happening?

Russia denies breach

Meanwhile, Moscow has denied the violation, claiming its jets were on a scheduled flight from Karelia to Kaliningrad, following international rules. Russia’s defense ministry said the aircraft flew over neutral Baltic waters, more than three kilometers from Estonia’s Vaindloo Island.

The Russian ministry, as per the BBC, stated, “The planes did not violate the borders of other states, as confirmed by objective monitoring.”

Wider regional tensions

The airspace violation comes amid heightened tensions in Eastern Europe. Poland recently reported Russian drones entering its territory, while Romania detected drone air raids along the Danube. Both nations are NATO members and have voiced concerns over Russia’s behaviour, Bloomberg reported.

Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said the “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion showed Moscow’s intent to test NATO’s boundaries. He warned that Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness should be met with a prompt increase in political and economic pressure.

Also Read: Russian fighter jets violate Estonian airspace in yet another NATO incursion

Trump reacts cautiously

US President Donald Trump, when asked about the incident, said he does not love it. He said, “I do not like when that happens. Could be big trouble.” Trump added he would be briefed later before deciding on Washington’s response, the BBC report added.