After Poland, Estonia has requested emergency NATO consultations following reported airspace violations by Russian jets, which allegedly lasted for 12 minutes.
Estonian government officials said on Friday that “three Russian jets had brazenly violated their airspace.”
Reacting to the incident, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas described the incursion as a “dangerously provocative move by Russia.”
Tensions have been rising between NATO members and Russia over recent incidents, including Poland’s initial accusations of Russia launching kamikaze drones inside Warsaw, which were later retracted, with Poland stating the drones were of Ukrainian origin.
Similar claims were previously made by the Romanian Air Force, which again turned out to be false.
The Russian Defence Minister responded quickly, stating that the flight was conducted in accordance with "international rules governing airspace" and “did not violate Estonian airspace.”
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On multiple occasions, EU nations have accused Russia of border violations, assassination attempts, and airspace incursions via jets and drones, though some of these claims later proved to be misinformation or fabricated to present Moscow negatively.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump, without receiving a briefing from his aides, reacted to the incident, saying, "I don't love it," adding, "I don't like when that happens. It could be big trouble, but I'll let you know later." His response was notably less hostile than that of some other NATO nations, which strongly condemned the alleged incursion as “reckless.”
The reports could not be independently verified, as Russia issued a firm denial. The Ministry of Defence stated, "During the flight, the Russian aircraft did not deviate from the agreed flight path and did not violate Estonian airspace.”
The German Foreign Minister condemned Russia’s actions following the incident on Friday. “Vigilance is the price of freedom. This principle of NATO remains as relevant as ever. Today's unacceptable violation of Estonian airspace by Russia clearly demonstrates this,” he said.
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