Russian fighter aircraft enter Estonian airspace

Three Russian fighter aircraft entered Estonian airspace without permission yesterday, the country's Foreign Ministry said. The aircraft remained there for 12 minutes.

- EMMA BURROWS LORNE COOK

Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest against the incident, which came just over a week after Nato planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over.

Foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia violated Estonian airspace four times this year “but today’s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen”.

Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur also said the government had decided “to start consultations among the allies” under Nato’s article 4, he wrote on X, after Russian jets “violated our airspace yet again”.

The North Atlantic Council, Nato’s principal political decision-making body, is due to convene early next week to discuss the incident in more detail, Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said yesterday.

Article 4 states that: “The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”

US president Donald Trump told reporters he will soon be briefed by aides on the reported incursion.