Russian jets enter Estonia’s airspace in latest test for Nato

VILNIUS/WASHINGTON – Three Russian military jets violated Nato member Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes on Sept 19 in an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, its government said, 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 over a week after

more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace

on the night of Sept 9-10. 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 Estonian airspace without permission and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw, a period during which the high-speed aircraft could have traversed broad swathes 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,” said Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

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

In a statement issued early on Sept 19, the Russian Defence Ministry said its jets flew over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea in proceeding from north-west 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 said of the three MiG-31 fighters in a post on Telegram.

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

Separately, Poland said on Sept 19 that two Russian fighter jets violated the safety zone of the Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea.

Eyes on Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Sept 19 he had not been briefed on the incident but expected that he would be later. “I don’t love it. I don’t like when that happens,” Mr 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.”

His administration was being closely watched for a response.

Washington had had little to say about the drone incursion into Poland and did not participate directly in fending it off, triggering deep anxiety among Nato members, who have questioned Mr Trump’s commitment to their defence in case of a Russian attack.

Nato said Russia was reckless.

“Earlier today, Russian jets violated Estonian airspace. Nato responded immediately and intercepted the Russian aircraft. This is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and Nato’s ability to respond,” a Nato spokesperson said on X.

‘No accident’

Europeans quickly responded to the Russian jet incident on Sept 19. “This was no accident,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas – a former Estonian prime minister – said in comments relayed by a spokesperson.

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

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said his country had decided to ask Nato to open consultations under Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty, and that the Russian jets flew around 5 nautical miles (9km) into Nato airspace before Italian F-35s, currently stationed at a base in Estonia, pushed them out.

Nato polices the airspace of Estonia and other Baltic nations in its “Baltic Sentry” mission.

Mr Tsahkna suggested that Estonia would be asking allies for more air defences. “It was a very clear provocation. It was definitely meant like this. And that’s why we are calling the Article 4 political consultations,” he told Reuters.

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.

Ukraine called the incursion an unacceptable new destabilisation measure by Russia and said it stands with Estonia.

“Strong action is needed, both jointly and from individual countries,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said Nato should urgently move air defence capabilities to front-line states.

“We are being tested, our citizens are being threatened almost every day now. This means that we need to have capabilities collected from our allies (to be placed) by our borders, because that’s the border of Nato,” she told Reuters.

No flight plans, transponders off

Estonia said the airspace violation occurred on the morning of Sept 19 in the area of Vaindloo Island, around 100km from the capital Tallinn.

The aircraft did not have flight plans, their transponders were not switched on and they were not in contact with air traffic control, Estonia said.

While incursions over Vaindloo Island by Russian aircraft are fairly common, they do not usually last as long as the Sept 19 incident. “It’s tough to see how this wasn’t intentional,” a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

Professor Jakub M. Godzimirski, a research professor in Russian security policy at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, said the incident could be a test, but could also be purely coincidental.

“Still, this happens in a given context, having in mind what happened with the drone incursion in Poland a few days ago,” Prof Godzimirski said.

A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Tallinn said in May that Moscow had briefly sent a fighter jet into Nato airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russia-bound oil tanker thought to be part of

a “shadow fleet” defying Western sanctions

on Moscow. REUTERS