"Estonia Calls on NATO Treaty After Bold Airspace Violation by Russian Jets"

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Estonia has condemned Moscow after three Russian fighter planes entered its airspace just days after NATO jets downed Russian drones over Poland.

Three Russian military jets violated the NATO member’s airspace in an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, its government says, the latest in a series of recent military actions by Russia that have rattled the alliance.

Russia’s defence ministry denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.

With tensions already high because of the war in Ukraine, the incursion came just more than a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of 9 and 10 September.

That prompted NATO jets to down some of them and Western officials to say Russia was testing the alliance’s readiness and resolve.

It also occurred three days after Russia and Belarus ended their “Zapad-2025” joint military exercises, which included the rehearsal of the launch of Russian nuclear weapons.

Tallinn said the three MiG-31 fighter jets entered the Baltic country’s airspace without permission on Friday and stayed for 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw, during which time the high-speed aircraft could have traversed broad swaths of the country.

“Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen,” foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said.

A middle-aged white man speaking in front of several microphones.

Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said the incursion was “unprecedentedly brazen”. Source: AP / Virginia Mayo

Russian jets routinely fly over the Baltic Sea between mainland Russia and its exclave of Kaliningrad.

Russia denies wrongdoing

The Russian defence ministry on Saturday said its jets flew over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea from northwest Russia to Kaliningrad.

“The flight was carried out in strict conformity with international rules governing airspace with no violation of the borders of other states as is confirmed by independent checks,” the ministry posted on Telegram.

“The Russian aircraft did not deviate from the agreed flight path and did not violate Estonian airspace.”

Trump not briefed

US President Donald Trump said he had not been briefed on the incident but expected he would be later.

“I don’t love it. I don’t like when that happens,” Trump told reporters when asked if he saw the incursion by Russian jets as a threat to NATO.

“Could be big trouble. I’ll let you know later.”

Trump’s administration is being closely watched for a response after it had little to say about the drone incursion into Poland, triggering anxiety among NATO members, who have questioned Trump’s commitment to their defence in case of a Russian attack.

NATO: ‘Reckless Russian behaviour’

NATO said the incident “is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour”, but a spokesperson on X said it also showed NATO’s ability to respond.

Europeans quickly responded to the Russian jet incident on Friday, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas — a former Estonian prime minister — saying: “This was no accident.”

Estonia said it had summoned the top Russian diplomat in the country to lodge a protest.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said his country would ask NATO to open consultations under Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty, and that the Russian jets flew about 9km into NATO airspace before Italian F-35s, stationed at a base in Estonia, pushed them out.

Article 4 states that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.