According to Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace on Friday. The incident involved three Russian MiG-31 aircraft, which remained in Estonian airspace for a total of twelve minutes.
The Russian embassy’s chargé d’affaires was summoned to the ministry on Friday to formally protest the airspace intrusion and receive a diplomatic note detailing the violation. The airspace breach occurred over the Gulf of Finland.
“Russia has already violated Estonian airspace four times this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s airspace transgression with three fighter jets is unprecedentedly brazen” stated Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. He added that Russia’s increasing border crossings and growing aggression necessitate a swift escalation of political and economic pressure.
Estonia, formerly part of the Soviet Union until 1990, has been a member of NATO since 2004. Since 2014, the German armed forces, including the Luftwaffe, have annually deployed a contingent to bolster “Air Policing Baltikum” (VAPB) from the Ämari Air Base in Estonia, representing a significant contribution to the initiative.