Three Russian MiG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Friday, Estonia said, triggering complaints of a dangerous new provocation from the EU and NATO, but a denial from Moscow.
Italian F-35 fighters attached to NATO’s air defense support mission in the Baltic states were scrambled to intercept the Russian jets and warn them off, Estonian and Italian officials said, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praising the “quick and decisive response.”
Sweden and Finland also scrambled rapid reaction aircraft, a spokesman for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe said.
Photo: AP
Estonia immediately called for urgent talks with NATO allies and the military alliance said that the talks could take place “at the start of next week.”
“Three Russian fighter MiG-31 entered Estonian airspace in the Vaindloo Island area without permission, and remained there for approximately 12 minutes,” the Estonian defense forces said. “The fighter jets did not have flight plans, and their transponders were switched off. At the time of the airspace violation, the fighter jets did not have two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic control.”
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart called the event “yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and NATO’s ability to respond.”
In response, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that the MiGs were on a “scheduled flight” from Karelia, on the border with Finland, to an airfield in its Kaliningrad exclave, which is surrounded by Lithuania and Poland.
“During the flight, the Russian aircraft did not deviate from the agreed-upon route and did not violate Estonian airspace,” it said, adding that the flight was over “neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, more than 3km from the island of Vaindloo.”
“Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today’s incursion... is unprecedentedly brazen,” Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna said.
The alleged Russian incursion came amid high tensions on NATO’s eastern border, after Warsaw last week complained that about 20 Russian drones overflew its territory — although the Kremlin denied targeting Poland.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal’s announcement “to request NATO Article 4 consultations” over the “unacceptable” contravention is the second time in less than two weeks that a member country has invoked the clause.
Article 4 states that a NATO member can convene urgent talks when it feels its “territorial integrity, political independence or security” are at risk.
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