Russia entered Estonia’s airspace on Friday and stayed there for about 12 minutes — an incursion that an official in Estonia called “unprecedentedly brazen.”
The incursion was by three Russian fighter aircraft, Estonia’s foreign affairs ministry said in a release. It took place over the Gulf of Finland, which touches Russia, Estonia and Finland.
“Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement.
“Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure,” he said.
NATO intercepted the aircraft violating the airspace, spokesperson Allison Hart said in a post on X. She slammed it as “another example of reckless” behavior by Russia.
In a statement later Friday, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Russia’s “aim is to draw attention and assistance away from Ukraine by forcing NATO countries to focus more on the defence of their own territories.”
“Such a violation is completely unacceptable, and NATO’s response to any provocation must be united and strong,” Michal said. “We consider it essential to consult with our Allies to ensure shared situational awareness and to agree on our next joint steps. The entire Alliance is treating this incident seriously.”
“Europe stands with Estonia in the face of Russia’s latest violation of our airspace,” Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, said in a post on X.
“As threats escalate, so too will our pressure,” she said.
On Friday, von der Leyen put forward a 19th package of sanctions that targets Moscow over the war in Ukraine for approval by EU member states. She called on EU leaders to “swiftly approve” the package.
Russian officials did not immediately comment.
Just over a week ago, NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland. Russia’s violation of Poland’s airspace was the most serious cross-border incident into a NATO member country since the war in Ukraine began with Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022. Other alliance countries have reported similar incursions and drone crashes on their territory.
The developments have increasingly rattled European governments as U.S.-led efforts to stop the war in Ukraine have come to nothing.
Kaja Kallas, who is the EU’s foreign policy chief and was formerly the prime minister of Estonia, called the latest violation “an extremely dangerous provocation.”
“This marks the third such violation of EU airspace in days and further escalates tensions in the region,” she said.
The Russian MIG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace in the area of Vaindloo Island, which is a small island located in the Gulf of Finland, the Estonian military said in a statement. The aircraft did not have flight plans and their transponders were turned off, the statement said, nor were the aircraft in two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic services.
Italian Air Force F-35 fighter jets, currently deployed as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission, responded to the incident, according to the statement.
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