Russian fighter jets entered Estonia’s airspace for an unusually long period of 12 minutes, violating the country’s borders, according to Estonia’s foreign minister. This incident is considered “unprecedentedly brazen” by Estonia’s government, highlighting tensions between Russia and NATO.
The incident occurred on Friday, with three MIG-31 fighters entering Estonian airspace without filing flight plans or transmitting their location. Finnish jets intercepted them, followed by Italian F-35s that escorted the Russian aircraft out of the country. The incident is the latest in a series of Russian intrusions into Baltic nations’ airspace.
Estonia’s government has summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires to protest the flights, and Estonia’s prime minister has requested urgent talks with NATO allies. This move comes as tensions between Russia and NATO continue to escalate over Ukraine and other issues.
NATO officials have praised their ability to respond to the incident, but critics argue that more pressure should be applied to Moscow. The European Union has also proposed new sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian gas imports by 2027.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/world/europe/russian-fighter-jets-estonia-nato.html