The Estonian government announced on Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets had entered its airspace without permission and remained there for 12 minutes. The Estonian army confirmed that the military aircraft had violated the airspace near the island of Vaindloo, about 100 kilometers from Tallinn, in the morning. The aircraft had not submitted any flight plans, their transponders were not switched on, and they did not communicate with air traffic control.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the incident as “unprecedentedly brazen” and pointed out that this was already the fourth violation of Estonian airspace by Russia this year.
“Russia has already violated Estonian airspace four times this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today's violation, in which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is an unprecedented act of insolence,” the foreign minister said.
Estonia has decided to request consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) in connection with the violation of its airspace by Russian fighter jets, Prime Minister Kristen Michal wrote on social network X on Friday.
