Estonia summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires after jets entered its Gulf of Finland airspace for 12 minutes
Moscow
Russia has strongly denied Estonia’s accusation that three of its MiG-31 fighter jets breached Estonian airspace. The Defence Ministry stated on Saturday that the transfer flight from Karelia to the Kaliningrad region followed international aviation rules and never crossed foreign borders.
According to Moscow, the flight was planned in advance and monitored by objective tracking systems, which confirmed there was no violation. “The redeployment was carried out in strict compliance with international airspace regulations,” the ministry declared on its Telegram channel.
Estonia had earlier summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires in Tallinn, claiming the jets entered its airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for 12 minutes. Prime Minister Kristen Michal described the alleged incident as a provocation and announced Estonia would consult NATO allies under Article 4, which permits urgent discussions when a member feels threatened.
NATO later confirmed that its jets intercepted the Russian aircraft, criticizing Moscow’s actions. “This is yet another example of reckless Russian behavior and NATO’s ability to respond,” a spokesperson said on X. The alliance has been actively monitoring Baltic airspace through its “Baltic Sentry” mission.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between NATO and Russia. In recent days, Poland and Romania, both NATO members, accused Russia of violating their airspace with drones. These claims have further strained relations between Moscow and the Western alliance.
Despite repeated denials from Russia, NATO officials insist the bloc will remain vigilant. The dispute highlights the growing risk of confrontation as both sides increase their military presence around Eastern Europe and the Baltic region.
